| Acropora aspera | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Acroporidae |
| Genus: | Acropora |
| Species: | A. aspera |
| Binomial name | |
| Acropora aspera | |
| Synonyms | |
List
| |
Acropora aspera is a species of staghorn coral in the family Acroporidae. It is found on reef flats and in lagoons in very shallow water in the western Indo-Pacific Ocean.
Acropora aspera is a scantily branching, colonial coral forming low clumps. The individual branches are slender and only taper towards the tips. The corallites, the little stony cups from which the polyps grow, vary in size and are crowded closely together. The lower lip of each corallite protrudes slightly. Acropora aspera varies in colour, being pale green, grey or brown, or occasionally pale blue. [2] [3]
Acropora aspera is found in the Indian Ocean and western parts of the Pacific Ocean. It inhabits reef flats and lagoons and grows in water up to 5 metres (16 ft) deep. Where coral zoning occurs, it is found between the shallow water Acropora pulchra , which it closely resembles, and the deeper water Acropora millepora . [1]
Acropora aspera is a zooxanthellate coral which harbours symbiotic dinoflagellates in its tissues. The coral relies heavily on the energy produced during photosynthesis by these algae. [4] In a study off the coast of southern India it was found that this coral grew by extension of the branches and by calcification of the skeleton all year round, but that calcification was reduced in June to September, the south-west monsoon season. This was thought to be due to the greater cloud cover and larger amount of suspended sediment during that season resulting in reduced levels of photosynthesis. [5]
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists Acropora aspera as being "Vulnerable". This is because, although it has a wide range, it is generally uncommon and populations are believed to be declining. It is particularly prone to bleaching, a process in which high sea temperatures or stress cause the coral to expel its zooxanthellae and turn white. Other threats it faces are general destruction of coral reefs, ocean acidification, high sea temperatures and coral diseases. The crown-of-thorns starfish feeds preferentially on Acropora species corals. [1] This starfish sometimes has sudden increases in population size which may threaten this coral locally. [1]
Acropora pulchra is a species of colonial staghorn coral in the family Acroporidae. It is found on the back fringes of reefs in shallow water in the western Indo-Pacific Ocean. The oldest fossils of this species date back to the Pleistocene.
Acropora grandis is a species of colonial stony coral. It is a large species with multiple branches forming a bush-like structure and is found on reefs and in lagoons. It is native to the tropical western Indo-Pacific and has a range extending from East Africa to the east coast of Australia.
Acropora nasuta is a species of branching stony coral in the family Acroporidae. It is native to the western and central Indo-Pacific where it is found in shallow reef habitats. Like other corals of the genus Acropora, it is susceptible to coral bleaching and coral diseases and the IUCN has listed it as being "Near Threatened".
Acropora hyacinthus is a species of Acropora described from a specimen collected in Fiji by James Dwight Dana in 1846. It is thought to have a range that includes the Indian Ocean, the Indo-Pacific waters, southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean. It lives on shallow reefs on upper reef slopes, and is found from depths of 1–25 m. Crown-of-thorns starfish preferentially prey upon Acropora corals.
Acropora cerealis is a species of acroporid coral found throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans, from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the Hawaiian Islands and the Johnston Atoll. It can be found on upper reef slopes in shallow tropical reefs, from depths of 3–20 m. Crown-of-thorns starfish preferentially prey upon Acropora corals, and this species is also harvested for the aquarium trade.
Acropora digitifera is a species of acroporid coral found in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, Australia, southeast Asia, the central Indo-Pacific, Japan, the west Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. It is found in shallow areas of tropical reefs in the back margins, from depths of 0 to 12 m. It was described by Dana in 1846.
Acropora muricata, commonly called staghorn coral, is a species of acroporid coral found in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Australia, central Indo-Pacific, Japan, Southeast Asia, the East China Sea and the oceanic central and western Pacific Ocean. It is found in tropical shallow reefs, slopes of reefs, and in lagoons, from depths of 5 to 30 m. It was described by Dana in 1846.
Acropora globiceps is a species of acroporid coral found in the oceanic central and western Pacific Ocean and central Indo-Pacific. It can also be found in the Great Barrier Reef, the Philippines, the Andaman Islands, Polynesia, Micronesia and the Pitcairn Islands. It occurs on the slopes of reefs, the flats of reefs, in tropical shallow reefs, and at depths of around 8 metres (26 ft). It was described by Dana in 1846.
Acropora palmerae is a species of acroporid coral found in the northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It is also found in Palau and the Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the Andaman Islands, the Great Barrier Reef, Okinawa Island, Mauritius, Micronesia, the Cook Islands and the Philippines. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs on flats exposed the action of strong waves and in lagoons, from depths of 0 to 12 metres. It was described by Wells in 1954.
Acropora humilis, also known as finger coral, is a species of acroporid coral found in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the northern and southwestern Indian Ocean, Australia, the central Indo-Pacific, Japan, southeast Asia, the East China Sea, the central and western Pacific Ocean, the Johnston Atoll and the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It also occurs in the Raja Ampat Islands, Mariana Islands, Palau, and the Pitcairn Islands. Occurring in tropical shallow reefs on upper reef flats and slopes at depths of up to 12 metres (39 ft), it was described by Dana in 1846.
Acropora abrolhosensis is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by John Veron in 1985. Found in sheltered lagoons and shallow reefs, it is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. The population of the species is decreasing, and most specimens are found in Western Australia, but occurs in many other areas. It is also listed under CITES Appendix II.
Acropora batunai is a species of acroporid coral that was described by Carden Wallace in 1997. Found in protected, shallow reefs, it occurs in a marine environment at depths of up to 44 m (144 ft). The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population, and is extremely fragile. It can be found over a large area but, overall, is not common.
Acropora caroliniana is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Nemenzo in 1976. Found in tropical, shallow reef slopes, it occurs at depths of 5 to 25 m in a marine environment. The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population. It is rare, but has been found over a large area, and two-thirds of the regions of Indonesia.
Acropora dendrum is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Bassett-Smith in 1890. Found in tropical, shallow reefs in areas of powerful waves at depths of 5 to 20 m, it is threatened by disease. The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population. It is not common but found over a large area, and is listed on CITES Appendix II.
Acropora echinata is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Dana in 1846. Found in shallow, tropical, sheltered reefs in marine environments, it is found at depths of 8 to 25 m in clear water. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and has a decreasing population. It is not common but found over a large area, and is listed under CITES Appendix II.
Acropora elegans is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Henri Milne-Edwards in 1860. Found in sheltered, sloping reefs, this species occurs at 30 to 60 m depth. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and has a decreasing population. It is not common and has a small range, and is listed under CITES Appendix II. It is more resistant to disease than other Acropora species.
Acropora indonesia is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Dr Carden Wallace in 1997. Found in marine, tropical, shallow reefs in sheltered flat locations or gentle slopes, it occurs at depths of 10 to 20 m. It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and it is thought to have a decreasing population. It is common and found over a large area, and is listed on CITES Appendix II.
Acropora kirstyae is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Jen Veron and C. C. Wallace in 1984. Found in marine, tropical, shallow reefs in sheltered areas usually at depths of 10 to 25 m, and also occurs in sheltered lagoons. It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and it is thought to have a decreasing population. It is not common and found over a large area, and is listed on CITES Appendix II.
Acropora loisetteae is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by C. C. Wallace in 1994. Found in marine, tropical, shallow reefs in sheltered lagoons, it is found at depths between 1 and 30 m. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and it is thought to have a decreasing population. It is not common but found over a large area, and is listed under CITES Appendix II.
Acropora lokani is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by C. C. Wallace in 1994. Found in marine, shallow reefs and sheltered lagoons, it occurs at depths between 8 and 25 m. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and is believed to have a decreasing population. It is not common but found over a large area, including in three regions of Indonedia, and is listed under CITES Appendix II.
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