Turbinaria (coral)

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Turbinaria
Turbinaria stellulata, polipos.jpeg
T. stellulata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Dendrophylliidae
Genus: Turbinaria
Oken, 1815 [1]
Species
See text
Synonyms
List
  • ExplanariaLamarck, 1816
  • Gemmiporade Blainville, 1830
  • TurbinacisQuenstedt, 1880

Turbinaria is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Dendrophylliidae. Common names for this genus include disc coral, scroll coral, cup coral, vase coral, pagoda coral and ruffled ridge coral. These corals are native to the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Japan and the south Central Pacific Ocean. [2]

Contents

Characteristics

Members of this genus may be massive, laminar, columnar or foliaceous, but foliaceous is the most common form. They may form plates, discs or tiered structures, usually with the corallites (skeletal cups in which the polyps sit) only on one surface. The corallites have porous walls and may be sunk into the surrounding coenosteum (skeletal tissue), or form tubular raised mounds. The septa (vertical blades in the corallites) are short and arranged neatly and the columella (central point where the septa join) is broad. The coenosteum is dense and heavy. Most species are nocturnal, with the polyps expanding only at night, but Turbinaria peltata is an exception to this. [1] [2]

Ecology

Turbinaria mesenterina Turbinaria mesenterina Maldives.JPG
Turbinaria mesenterina

Members of this genus are hermatypic (reef-building) corals. They are zooxanthellate, meaning that they contain symbiotic photosynthetic protists in their tissues, and are found in shallow waters where sunshine penetrates. They are one of only three genera in the family Dendrophylliidae with this capability, the other genera being azooxanthellate (without zooxanthellae) and found in deeper waters. [3]

The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) has been causing much damage to many species of coral in the Indo-Pacific region but Turbinaria sp. are seldom attacked. [4]

Conservation status

The conservation status of several species in this genus is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as "vulnerable". Like other corals, the main threats they face are climate change and ocean acidification. Rising sea water temperatures causes stress to the corals resulting in bleaching events and greater incidence of coral disease, and ocean acidification puts at risk their calcium carbonate skeletal structure. Storms seem to be increasing in severity and fishing activities can also damage reefs. Other threats include tourism, pollution, sedimentation and the introduction of alien species. Population trend statistics have not been gathered for individual species, but the general decline in coral reef habitat is used as a proxy for population decline in these corals. [5]

Use in aquaria

Turbinaria spp. are sometimes kept in reef aquaria. They are hardy corals that are non-aggressive, and do best in well-lit conditions with moderate to high water movement. [2]

Species

The following species are listed by the World Register of Marine Species: [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Montipora</i> Genus of corals

Montipora is a genus of Scleractinian corals in the phylum Cnidaria. Members of the genus Montipora may exhibit many different growth morphologies. With eighty five known species, Montipora is the second most species rich coral genus after Acropora.

Pocilloporidae Family of corals

The Pocilloporidae are a family of stony corals in the order Scleractinia occurring in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

<i>Montipora capitata</i> Species of coral

Montipora capitata, commonly known as rice coral or pore coral, is a stony coral in the family Acroporidae. It is a reef building species and is found in tropical parts of the Pacific Ocean.

<i>Diploastrea heliopora</i> Species of coral

Diploastrea heliopora, commonly known as diploastrea brain coral or honeycomb coral among other vernacular names, is a species of hard coral in the family Diploastreidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. This species can form massive dome-shaped colonies of great size.

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

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".

<i>Alveopora</i> Genus of corals

Alveopora is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Acroporidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and are often found on reef slopes in turbid water. They are generally uncommon.

<i>Anomastraea</i> Genus of corals

Anomastraea is a monotypic genus of corals in the family Coscinaraeidae. It is represented by a single species, the crisp pillow coral.

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.

<i>Turbinaria reniformis</i> Species of coral

Turbinaria reniformis, commonly known as yellow scroll coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "vulnerable".

<i>Turbinaria stellulata</i> Species of coral

Turbinaria stellulata, also known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "vulnerable".

<i>Turbinaria mesenterina</i> Species of coral

Turbinaria mesenterina, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "vulnerable".

<i>Turbinaria peltata</i> Species of cnidarian

Turbinaria peltata, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "vulnerable".

<i>Turbinaria frondens</i> Species of coral

Turbinaria frondens, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is a zooxanthellate coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues.

Turbinaria conspicua, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial a stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. Found abundant in the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific region, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. It is a zooxanthellaa coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues. It was studied by Bernard in 1896 and he rated it as a least concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

<i>Turbinaria irregularis</i> Species of coral

Turbinaria irregularis, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region and is rated as a least-concern species. It is a zooxanthellate coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues. It was described by Bernard in 1896 and is found at depths of 5 to 20 metres in shallow rocky areas and reefs.

Turbinaria radicalis, also known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the central Indo-Pacific, tropical and sub-tropical Australia, the South China Sea, northern Australia and the West Pacific. It is a zooxanthellate coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues. It is a rare coral throughout its range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "near-threatened".

<i>Turbinaria patula</i> Species of coral

Turbinaria patula, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region, being found in the eastern Indian Ocean, northern Australia, the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean. It is a zooxanthellate coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues. It is an uncommon species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has rated it as a "vulnerable" species.

<i>Madracis auretenra</i> Species of coral

Madracis auretenra, commonly known as the yellow finger coral or yellow pencil coral, is a colonial species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is a fairly common species and is found in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean. At one time this species was not recognised, but it was split from Madracis mirabilis on the grounds of morphology and depth range.

<i>Oulophyllia crispa</i> Species of coral

Oulophyllia crispa, sometimes called the intermediate valley coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Merulinidae. It is native to the tropical western and central Indo-Pacific region. Although this coral has a wide range, it is generally uncommon and seems to be decreasing in abundance, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "near threatened".

Stylophora madagascarensis is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to the tropical western Indian Ocean where it is confined to the coasts of Madagascar, growing in shallow water.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cairns, S.; Hoeksema, B. (2015). "Turbinaria Oken, 1815". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 2015-04-18.
  2. 1 2 3 Sprung, Julian (1999). Corals: A quick reference guide. Ricordea Publishing. pp. 137–139. ISBN   1-883693-09-8.
  3. ↑ Chang-feng Dai; Sharon Horng (2009). Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan: Complex group. National Taiwan University Press. p. 154. ISBN   978-986-01-8744-1.
  4. ↑ Charles Birkeland; John Lucas (1990). Acanthaster planci: Major Management Problem of Coral Reefs. CRC Press. p. 118. ISBN   978-0-8493-6599-7.
  5. ↑ Hoeksema, B.W.; Rogers, A.; Quibilan, M.C. (2014). "Turbinaria reniformis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T133697A54306914. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T133697A54306914.en .
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