831 species

Acropora schmitti

Wells, 1950

Acropora

Oken, 1815

Characters: Colonies are clumps of irregular branches. Axial corallites intergrade in size with radial corallites. Radial corallites are large, crowded and barrel-shaped.

Colour: Pale brown or yellow.

Similar Species: Isopora brueggemanni, which has smaller, less crowded radial corallites. See also Acropora chesterfieldensis.

Habitat: Upper reef slopes and lagoons.

Abundance: May be locally common, otherwise rare.

Taxonomic Note: Considered a junior synonym of Acropora digitifera by Wallace (1999) and Wallace, Done and Muir (2012). Growth forms are similar but A. schmitti has distinctive barrel-shaped radial corallites. Acropora schmitti has also been confused with small colonies of A. rudis which also has large corallites with small calices.

Taxonomic References: Wells (1950); Veron (2000a);

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