Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage
 

Porites australiensis

 

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type Description Download
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony and close-up with fanworm, Guam 63KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony, Guam 47KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony with Christmas Tree Worm, Guam 70KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony, Guam 63KB
Open this image in pop-up window Image: Colony, Palau 78KB

General Information

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Chagos - French Polynesia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: Gp.8 This species differs by having shallow calices (1.0-1.3mm diameter), thick septa, and large granulated pali. Porites "general" has closely-spaced ±polygonal calices, 0.7-1.5mm diameter, with conspicuous porous walls of rods and flakes, 12 porous lattice-like septa, some septa having an inner-spine (=pali), and the columella is pinnacle-like.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Indistinguishable from other massive Porites, except by expert comparative studies. Lacks fused triplet of P.lutea and holes between septa are distinct.

Enlarged Image of 'Porites australiensis'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN 
MH
RK
PK
NS
SW

Key to Symbols

Scientific Taxonomy

Porites australiensis (Vaughan, 1918)
SYNONYMS: Porites (Porites) australiensis

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CNIDARIA (=Coelenterates); ANTHOZOA; ZOANTHARIA (=Hexacorallia); Scleractinia (=Madreporaria); PORITIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: specimens, G.McCormack (1980s?), NHP#GM044 - 045.

References:
Special Reference: x

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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