Acropora rudis

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Acropora rudis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Acroporidae
Genus: Acropora
Species:
A. rudis
Binomial name
Acropora rudis
(Rehberg, 1892) [2]
Synonyms [2]
  • Madrepora rudis Rehberg, 1892

Acropora rudis is a species of acroporid coral found in the Indo-Pacific region. It is an uncommon species and is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as an endangered species because it is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching, coral diseases, damage by the crown-of-thorns starfish and destruction of its coral reef habitat. [1]

Contents

Description

Acropora rudis is a colonial stagshorn coral forming clumps up to a metre (yard) across. The branches are tapering, irregular and robust, up to 40 mm (1.6 in) in diameter; some extend upwards, others are horizontal, and some turn downwards near the tips. The branches are up to 160 mm (6 in) in length. At the ends of the branches, the axial corallites, the stony cups in which the polyps sit, are very large. The radial corallites at the sides of the branches are smaller, close together, rounded and tubular, or tubular-conical. The colour of this coral varies, sometimes being dark green and other times being brown. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Acropora rudis is native to the northern Indian Ocean where it has a patchy distribution in Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Bangladesh, Thailand and western Sumatra. It occurs on rocky fringing reefs, the edges of shallow reefs and the upper parts of submerged reefs, [3] at depths between about 3 and 15 m (10 and 50 ft). [1]

Status

Corals in the genus Acropora are particularly prone to bleaching and coral disease and when they have been damaged, are slow to recover; they are also affected when the reefs where they grow are destroyed by storms or trawling, and by ocean warming and acidification. [1] Acropora rudis is an uncommon species with a somewhat limited range and habitat destruction is predicted to reduce populations considerably. Because of these threats, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the conservation status of this coral as "endangered". [1]

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<i>Acropora aspera</i> Species of coral

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<i>Acropora loripes</i> Species of coral

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<i>Acropora nasuta</i> Species of coral

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<i>Micromussa regularis</i> Species of coral

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<i>Acropora abrotanoides</i> Species of coral

Acropora abrotanoides is a species of acroporid coral found in Indo-Pacific waters from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden east to the East China Sea, Japan, the central Pacific Ocean and Australia. It is found in shallow coral reefs that are exposed to the action of strong waves, at depths up to 15 m. It is vulnerable to coral bleaching, disease and crown-of-thorns starfish. It is resistant to predation as it has well-developed radial corallite lips.

<i>Acropora aculeus</i> Species of coral

Acropora aculeus is a species of acroporid corals found throughout the Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, southeast Asia, Japan and the East China Sea. It is also present in the western Pacific Ocean. It is an uncommon species and is particularly prone to coral bleaching, disease, and crown-of-thorns starfish predation; it is also harvested for use in aquaria, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being a "vulnerable species". Habitat loss is a big concern.

Acropora lovelli is a species of acroporid coral found in the northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It can also be found in Palau and the southern Mariana Islands, the Red Sea, Mauritius, Tuha'a Pae, the Pitcairn Islands and Rodrigues. It occurs in shallow tropical reefs, in shallow protected lagoons and at lagoon entrances, to depths from 1–10 m.

Branch coral Species of coral

The branch coral is a species of acroporid coral found in the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan and the East China Sea, Cook Islands and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It can be found in shallow reefs on the reef tops, walls and slopes to depths of 30 m.

Alveopora fenestrata is a species of stony coral that is found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwest and northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It can be found in shallow coral reefs, to a depth of 30 metres (100 ft). It is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching.

Anacropora spinosa is a species of briar coral that can be found in the central Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Solomon Islands, Japan, the East China Sea and the oceanic west Pacific Ocean. It is also found in Rodrigues and the Andaman Islands. It occurs in shallow reefs, from depths of 5–15 m. It is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching, disease and reduction of coral reef habitats.

Acropora awi is a species of acroporid coral that was described by Wallace and Wolstenholme in 1998. Found in fringing reefs, the slopes of shallow reefs, and sandy slopes, it occurs in a marine environment. The species is rated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population, and is easily damaged. It can be found over a large area but is not abundant.

Acropora derawanensis is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Carden Wallace in 1997. Found in tropical, shallow reefs sheltered from the waves in a marine environment, it is found at depths of 10 to 25 m on reef slopes. 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. It is easily damaged.

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.

<i>Acropora microclados</i> Species of coral

Acropora microclados is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1834. Found in marine, tropical shallow reefs on the upper slopes, it is found at depths of 5 to 20 m. It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and its population is decreasing. It is uncommon but found over a large area, including in five regions of Indonesia, and is classified under CITES Appendix II.

Acropora papillare is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Latypov in 1992. Found in marine, tropical, shallow reefs in areas exposed to waves, it occurs at depths of between 1 and 5 m. It is classed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and it has a decreasing population. It is uncommon but found over a large area, including in three regions of Indonesia, and is classified under CITES Appendix II.

Acropora pharaonis is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Milne-Edwards and Haime in 1860. Found in marine, tropical, reefs on slopes sheltered from wave action, it occurs at depths of between 5 and 25 m. It is classed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and it has a decreasing population. It is common and found over a large area and is classified under CITES Appendix II.

<i>Acropora polystoma</i> Species of coral

Acropora polystoma is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by G. Brook in 1891. Found in marine, tropical, reefs on upper slopes where waves are strong, it occurs at depths between 3 and 10 m. It is classed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and it has a decreasing population. It is not common and found over a large area and is classified under CITES Appendix II.

Acropora derawanensis is a species of acroporid coral found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the west central Pacific Ocean. It is particularly susceptible to coral bleaching, disease, and crown-of-thorns starfish predation.

Anacropora forbesi is a species of briar coral that can be found in the tropical western and central Indo-Pacific region. It is the type species of the genus Anacropora.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Richards, Z.T.; Delbeek, J.T.; Lovell, E.R.; Bass, D.; Aeby, G.; Reboton, C.o (2008). "Acropora rudis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T132913A3490569. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T132913A3490569.en .
  2. 1 2 Hoeksema, Bert (2017). "Acropora rudis (Rehberg, 1892)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  3. 1 2 Wallace, Carden C. (1999). Staghorn Corals of the World: A Revision of the Coral Genus Acropora (Scleractinia; Astrocoeniina; Acroporidae) Worldwide, with Emphasis on Morphology, Phylogeny and Biogeography. Csiro Publishing. p. 93. ISBN   978-0-643-06391-4.
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