831 species

Favia gravida

Verrill, 1868

Favia

Oken, 1815

Characters: Colonies are small (usually <50 mm diameter) and hemispherical to encrusting. Corallites are mostly immersed, circular with one mouth to flabello-meandroid with many mouths. Corallites or valleys are <4 mm diameter. Whatever the corallite shape, the walls are neatly rounded. Septo-costae are exsert and evenly spaced in two orders and have unevenly serrated margins. Columella centres are usually indistinct, rarely forming a continuous wall.

Colour: Pale organge.

Similar Species: Favia fragum is very similar but tends to be less meandroid and may have more protruberant corallites.

Habitat: Reef habitats or rocky shorelines.

Abundance: Common.

Taxonomic Note: This species, like Favia fragum, is possibly a Dichocoenia and awaits further study. Poorly differentiated from F. fragum.

COTW History since Veron (2000a)
  • Family: All families are currently under review
  • Genus/species: Newly accepted species. New fieldwork and skeletal samples have led to the distinction of this taxon from similar species