Department of Zoology at ANDC/Zoology Museum/Museum specimens/Cnidaria/Madrepora

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{|cellpadding="5" cellspacing="6" style="width:100%;background:#FFFFFF; border-style:solid; border-width:3px; border-color:#0066FF;" Date & Time : 28, August 2024      
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=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.