831 species

Acanthastrea lordhowensis

Veron and Pichon, 1982

Acanthastrea

Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848

Characters: Colonies are massive and cerioid, with laterally compressed corallites of uneven height. Walls are acute: septa are thick, with large teeth. Columellae are deep-seated and often barely developed. Colonies have a thick fleshy mantle which is covered by fine papillae.

Colour: Very colourful: red, purple and green are the most common colours, with corallites and walls almost always of contrasting colours.

Similar Species: Colonies with uniform colour are readily mistaken for Micromussa amakusensis.

Habitat: Shallow reef environments especially of subtropical localities.

Abundance: Sometimes common.

Taxonomic Note: Readily confused with Micromussa amakusensis in situ. The type specimen, believed a rarity when collected, is not clearly representative of the species across its broad Indo-Pacific distribution range.

COTW History since Veron (2000a)
  • Family: All families are currently under review
  • Genus/species: No change