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Date & Time : 22, November 2024 11:31
Classification
Phylum - Cnidaria
Class - Anthozoa
Order - Madreporaria
Genus - Madrepora or Acropora
Common Name
Stag horn-coral
Habit and Habitat
It is a marine form and lives in colonies. Certain crutaceans live in close association with the coral
Distribution
It is commonly found in Florida and West Indies.
Identifying Characters
- Also called, Acropora, it is a colonial coral.
- Colony is highly branched, partly porous or reticulate.
- Branching is less towards periphery.
- The branches bear numerous small polyps in elevated cups separated by perforated coenosteum.
- Polyps appear flower-like.
- Terminal and lateral polyps contain six and twelve tentacles, respectively.
- Corallite is made up of calcium carbonate and is secreted by the basal disc of polyp.
- Corallite is without any central columella.
- Colony increases in size by growth and budding of polyps.
- The skeleton of Madrepora is very hard and it thus, plays an important role in coral reef formation. It is thus, also called hermatypic coral.
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