Methodology: Growth form derived from Wallace et al (2012) textual descriptions

ID: 56

Description:

  • Three species not in our species list
    • Acropora sirikitae
    • Acropora arafura
    • Acropora eibli (Pillai & Sheer 1976)
    The relevant morphological traits are:
    • “Colony outline” – 1= determinate [“colony grows to a more or less predictable outline”] vs 0 = indeterminate [“colony grows apparently without any intrinsic restriction”]
    • “Predominant outline” ie colony growth form using the following 11 categories defined in Wallace 1999
    Descriptions modified from Wallace 1999:
    • Arborescent: branches of similar length given off at a similar angles. Open-branching
    • Arborescent-table: open branched tables
    • Corymbose: flat topped clumps
    • Caespitose: branches in clusters or tufts. Closed branching
    • Caespitose-corymbose: flat topped closed branching clumps
    • Hispidose: arborescent except with a second type of branch given off at regular intervals around the primary branch
    • Table: colony outline in the shape of a table i.e. a top with one central leg or pedicle
    • Plate: a side-attached table
    • Encrusting: adhering to or overlaying the substratum
    • Elkhorn: branches in the shape of the horns of an Elk
    • Cuneiform: branches shaped like a wedge

    Three species have two categories A. pruinosa, A. rongelapensis, A. tumida the rest have only one

    They also state that two species are unattached from which I assume the rest are attached

Used for traits:

Added by: Andrew Baird

Observations using this methodology

Acropora tanegashimensis

Acropora tenella

Acropora tenuis

Acropora torihalimeda

Acropora tortuosa

Acropora tumida

Acropora turaki

Acropora valenciennesi

Acropora valida

Acropora variolosa

Acropora vaughani

Acropora verweyi

Acropora walindii

Acropora willisae

Acropora yongei

Isopora brueggemanni

Isopora crateriformis

Isopora cuneata

Isopora elizabethensis

Isopora palifera

Isopora togianensis