Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Acropora monticulosa

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Colony, Guam	92KB
Image:	Colony, Guam	60KB

General Information

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

KEY FEATURES: Cream or blue, ~ 70cmØ, digitate colony with thick, cone-like branches that taper towards the tips.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Acropora "Henderson" humilis has larger axial corallites & radial corallites are nariform & increase in size with distance from the branch tips (vs A. monticulosa has smaller axial corallites & radial corallites do not increase in size with distance from the branch tips).

Enlarged Image of 'Acropora monticulosa'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Acropora monticulosa (Bruggemann, 1879)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CNIDARIA (=Coelenterates); ANTHOZOA; ZOANTHARIA (=Hexacorallia); Scleractinia (=Madreporaria); ACROPORIDAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: COLONY ~ 70cmØ, cream or blue, digitate. Thick branches taper towards tip & are cone-like. CORALLITES - axial <3.5mmØ, calices 0.8-1.1mmØ. Radial - a mix of sizes but larger corallites are uniform in size & shape over the whole colony apart from on tips of branches. Tubular with round to nariform openings <3mm exsert & <2.6mmØ, calices 0.8-1.0mmØ. COENOSTEUM covered in fine spinules or finely costate. REPRODUCTION extratentacular budding.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
Special Reference: Veron, J.E.N. & Wallace, C.C. (1984). Scleractinia of Eastern Australia. Part V Family Acroporidae. Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series 6. p 174-176.

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.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List