Acanthastrea echinata

(Dana, 1846)

Vernacular names
English : Starry cup coral
French : Acanthastrea echinata

Classification
Class : Anthozoa
Order : Scleractinia
Family : Lobophylliidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Colonies can be up to 1 meters across. Corallites have a diameter of 1 to 2.5 cm. Thick and fleshy mantle forming concentric folds around each corallites. Coloration variable, usually brown sometimes with green or purple mottling.

Range and habitat
Indo-Pacific from Red Sea to South Africa, east to French Polynesia. Lives in sea-oriented coral-reefs, even in turbid waters, down to 45 m depth.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species is the commonest of its genus in the wild. Still found around coral reefs but climatic changes leading to acidification and warming of water is a serious threat for stony corals in general.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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