General Information

COMMON NAMES: Rus Coral GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Society Islands COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group (RR, ?Outer Islands); ?N.Group; Marine, near-shore, outer reef-slope, moat KEY FEATURES: Colonies variable. Coenosteum extensive and mesh-llike. Corallites concentrated in hollows. Easily separated from other Porites species by corallite formation. Range - e.Africa - Society Islands. Habitat - outer reef-slopes, sometimes in moats. SIMILAR SPECIES: Porites rus is readily identifiable and easily separated from other Porites species in situ due to its distinctive corallite formation. Corallites are concentrated in concavities, on the margins of expanding laminae, and in the hollows between ridges or crests.

Cook Islands Distribution

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW

Porites rus (Forsskål, 1775)
SYNONYMS: Porites (Synaraea) rus

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

IDENTIFICATION: COLONY variable - encrusting or plate-like to spherical, w/wo lobes, ridges, columns or branches. Cream or yellow, but can be brown. COENOSTEUM extensive & mesh-like (=reticulate) with minute knobby pinnacles. CALICES typically in hollows, w small calices irregularly spaced. SEPTA of triplet usually fused. Usually 6 well developed pali. Septa have 1- 2 teeth (denticles). COLUMELLA absent / almost absent. REPRODUCTION extra-tentacular.

Vouchers:
Cooks: specimens, G.McCormack (1980s?), NHP#GM048 - 053; RR- specimen+photo, lagoon, S.Miller (2001) ID per Veron (AIMS Mono Series), NHP#SM027.

References:
Special Reference: Veron, J.E.N. & Pichon, M. (1982). Scleractinia of Eastern Australia. Part IV Family Poritidae. Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series 5. p 58-62.

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

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