831 species

Acropora plumosa

Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998

Acropora

Oken, 1815

Characters: Colonies form horizontal tables of spectacular dimensions. Some colonies are irregularly shaped, mostly either due to breakage of the original colony or to the formation of irregular clusters of plates. Plates are side or centrally attached and are composed of radiating, irregularly dividing, interlinked main branches re-linked occasionally by sub-branches. Axial corallites are small and tubular. Radial corallites are widely spaced, tubular, and strongly appressed.

Colour: Brown with pale branch tips.

Similar Species: Acropora pharaonis. See also A. clathrata, which forms smaller, more solid plates of fused main branches rather than fused side branches.

Habitat: Sheltered reef slopes.

Abundance: Uncommon, but very conspicuous.

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