The branchingAstreoporafrom Cenderawasih Bay is not alone in its preference of growth form but it’s nothing compared toAstreopora acroporina.如果你是一个自称开头像ourse迷lves you’ll flip when you see the big honkin’ axial corallite riding the branch tips grown byAstreopora acroporina.
Although mostAsteoporaare encrusting, massive or submassive in growth form, something about Cenderawasih Bay makes it a hotbed ofAstreoporadiversity with all but two of the 16 species being found there, including the unusual branching speciesA. cenderawasihand the Acropora-wannabeAstreopora acroporina.
Astreopora acroporinais not only unique for being a branching species, but the development of the axial corallite is really something special. Most reef aquarium hobbyists are familiar with the hallmark axial corallite tip ofAcroporaincluding the closely relatedIsoporabut beforeA. acroporinacame only two other stony coral species were known to have branch whose growth was determined by an axial tip:Cyphastrea decadiaandEchinopora fruticulosa.
AlthoughAstreopora acroporinadoes develop axial-corallite-guide branches there aren’t too many secondary branches so we’re dealing with a roughly hemispherical base and branches sticking out of it. The colonies ofAstreopora acroporinadescribed were all from even shallower water thanA. cenderawasihat a depth of three to six feet (1-2 meters), evidently among seagrasses as pictured in the photo above.
Carden C. Wallace, Emre Turak & Lyndon DeVantier (2011): Novel characters in a conservative coral genus: three new species of Astreopora (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) from West Papua, Journal of Natural History, 45:31-32, 1905-1924
