General Information

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tahiti COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group (RR, ?Outer Islands); ?N.Group; Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope, moat, reef-flat lagoon KEY FEATURES: Colony hemispherical. Corallites polygonal with shared walls. Septa in 4-5 orders. 1st order form paliform lobes. All septa granulated on sides & margins. Columella reduced & plate-like. A fine line runs along walls between corallites. Coenosteum absent. SIMILAR SPECIES: In Leptastrea purpurea, the columella is comprised of a few pinnacles inter-mixed with paliform lobes (vs a reduced and plate-like columella in Leptastrea transversa cf. GP1).

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Leptastrea transversa cf. GP1 (Klunginger, 1879)
TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CNIDARIA (=Coelenterates); ANTHOZOA; ZOANTHARIA (=Hexacorallia); Scleractinia (=Madreporaria); FAVIIDAE

IDENTIFICATION: COLONY hemispherical, brown or grey. CORALLITES polygonal, 2-9mmØ w shared walls. SEPTA, up to 4-5 orders. 1st order form paliform lobes. Some 2nd order septa have teeth (dentations) that become rod-like closer to the columella. All septa granulated on margins & sides. COLUMELLA often reduced & plate-like. COSTAE do not adjoin & a fine line runs along walls between corallites. COENOSTEUM absent. REPRODUCTION always extratentacular.

Vouchers:
Rarotonga: specimen+photo, Muri lagoon, S.Miller (2001) ID per Veron (AIMS Mono Series), NHP#SM039; specimens, G.McCormack (1980s?), GM075 + 081.

References:
Special Reference: Veron, J.E.N., Pichon, M. & Wijsman-Best, M. (1977). Scleractinia of Eastern Australia. Part II Families Faviidae, Trachypyhlliidae. Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series 3. p 162-163.

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

Web Resources

• Google
• Google Images