831 species

Acropora elegans

(Milne Edwards, 1860)

Acropora

Oken, 1815

Characters: Colonies are flat plates commonly over one metre across and consist of flattened radiating branches that have a ridge along the upper surface. Upright branchlets may cover part or all of the colony surface. Radial corallites are more prevalent on the sides of branches and are mostly absent from the undersurface. Axial and radial corallites intergrade and all corallites are large and tubular.

Colour: Tan, usually with pale branch ends or plate margins.

Similar Species: Acropora pichoni, which has smaller corallites, with radial corallites usually scattered over colony upper surface. See also A. simplex.

Habitat: Protected steeply sloping reef edges.

Abundance: Rarely common.

Taxonomic References: Wallace (1999); Wallace, Done and Muir (2012);

Identification Guides: Turak and DeVantier (2011b);

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