Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Acanthastrea echinata

Starry Cup Coral

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type Description Download
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Coral colony & corallite detail, Rarotonga 78KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony, Guam 81KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony, Guam 88KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Starry Cup Coral

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotu

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group; ? N.Group; Marine, near-shore, moat, reef-flat lagoon, reef-flat, outer reef-slope

KEY FEATURES: Hemispherical, either rounded or flattened. Colour variable. Corallites 10-15mmØ, share or have separate walls. Septa have very large teeth. Columella twisted and cross-hatched. Sides of septa and costae covered in very fine granulations.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Cleaned specimens are similar to Flavites flexuosa, but live specimens are easily recognised. (Paulay 1988).

Enlarged Image of 'Acanthastrea echinata'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR 
MG
AT
MK
MT
AK
PL
TK
MN
P
P
P
P
P

Northern Group:
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Acanthastrea echinata (Dana, 1846)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CNIDARIA (=Coelenterates); ANTHOZOA; ZOANTHARIA (=Hexacorallia); Scleractinia (=Madreporaria); MUSSIDAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: COLONY hemispherical, rounded or flattened. Colour variable. CORALLITES 10-15mmØ, share or have separate walls. SEPTA very mussid-like, having large teeth. COLUMELLA twisted and cross-hatched, made up of horizontal thickened and fused rods that project from the 1st and 2nd order septa. Side of septa and COSTAE covered in very fine granulations. REPRODUCTION intratentacular.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimen+photo, Muri lagoon, S.Miller (2001) ID per Veron (AIMS Mono Series), NHP#SM054.

References:
Special Reference: Veron, J.E.N. & Pichon, M. (1979). Scleractinia of Eastern Australia. Part III Families Agariciidae, Siderastreidae, Fungiidae, Oculinidae, Merulinidae, Mussidae, Pectiniidae, Caryophylliidae, Dendrophylliidae. Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series 4. p 253-257.

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org. Copy citation to system clipboard
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