Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Astreopora myriophthalma

Porous Star Coral

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type Description Download
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony & skeleton showing calices & thistle-like spinules, Rarotonga 80KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony close-up, Cook Islands 51KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Porous Star Coral

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - French Polynesia

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

KEY FEATURES: Boulder-like, hemispherical colony, even surfaced. Corallites evenly spaced, slightly cone-like, mixed with smaller, sunken corallites, round calices, 1.8-2.8mmØ. Septa, 2 orders. Reproduction ?

SIMILAR SPECIES: Astreopora sp. 1 has a plate-like growth form (vs hemispherical, rounded growth form of Astreopora myrophthalma).

Enlarged Image of 'Astreopora myriophthalma'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Astreopora myriophthalma (Lamarck, 1816)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CNIDARIA (=Coelenterates); ANTHOZOA; ZOANTHARIA (=Hexacorallia); Scleractinia (=Madreporaria); ACROPORIDAE

More Information

IDENTIFICATION: COLONY boulder-like, hemispherical, or flattened, with an even surface. CORALLITES evenly-spaced, slightly cone-like. Interspersed with smaller, sunken corallites. CALICES rounded, 1.8-2.8mmØ. SEPTA, 2 orders, 1st reach 3/4 R while 2nd order is reduced. COENOSTEUM covered in short rods with thistle-like tips. REPRODUCTION ?

GENERAL NOTE: Astreopora sp.1 is not recorded as having been found in the Cooks. However, this species appears to have been renamed since Veron, 1984.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimen+photo, Muri lagoon, S.Miller (2002) ID per Veron (AIMS Mono Series), NHP#SM012.

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 426-429 .

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
Please refer to our use policy.


Search Biodiversity Database Biodiversity Database

More Options | Help
My List My List

 

 


Copyright © 2007 (July) The Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, all rights reserved.
Copyright & Use Policy