identifying agrra corals: part 4 branching corals judith lang and kenneth marks atlantic and gulf...
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Identifying AGRRA Corals: Part 4Identifying AGRRA Corals: Part 4Branching CoralsBranching Corals
Judith Lang and Kenneth MarksJudith Lang and Kenneth MarksAtlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) ProgramAtlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) Program
Revision: 2012-03-09Revision: 2012-03-09 www.agrra.orgwww.agrra.org
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The following images are Copyright ©by New World Publications
and by other photographers.
Permission is granted to use the photographs and slides in this presentation with the
AGRRA Program and, with attribution, for other valid educational purposes..
All other uses are strictly prohibited.
For images used in Part 4, our special thanks to:K. Desai, P. Humann, W. Precht, C. Rogers, R. Steneck, M. Vermeij, E. Weil, A. YniguezA. Yniguez
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Adapted from P.R. Kramer
Colony shape – massive (= mound, columnar, heavy plates), crust, plate, branching
Colony size range – small to big
Colony surface – bumpy, smooth, ridged
Polyp size – small to big
Polyp shape – round, elliptical, irregular, Y-shaped, meandroid (= short or long ridges and valleys)
Polyp colour – brown, tan, yellow, olive, green, redSeptal shape – fat, thin; smooth, toothed
Reminder: What to Look for Underwater
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The stony corals illustrated here are limited to species that are found in the wider Caribbean at depths (<20 m) that are typical of most AGRRA surveys.
The names of some corals are changing as a result of modern research. Expect updates!
For each species:(number in m and ft = maximum colony size)
Reminder: AGRRA Coral Species
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Reminder: Coding Corals in AGRRA Surveys
Use the CARICOMP-based coral codes.
The coral code for a genus is the first 4 letters of its genus name.
ACRO = AcroporaUse the genus code whenever you are unsure of a coral’s species identity.
The coral code for a species is the first letter of the genus name followed by the first 3 letters of its species name.
APAL = Acropora palmata
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Colony Boundaries in Branching Corals
Branching corals are easily broken and scattered, thus colony boundaries are often indistinct.
A. palmata APAL M. auretenra MAUR
P. porites PPOR
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Porites porites PPOR
thick (>2 cm), branches, many with blunt tips
elongate polyps often expand during the day
light grey, cream, yellow-brown or blue
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Porites porites PPOR
polyps are alive only near the branch tips in large colonies
(clumps to > 2 m/6 ft wide)
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Porites furcata PFUR
long, ~1-2 cm wide, “finger-like” branches, many with rounded tips
grey, tan or brown
(clumps to > 2 m/6 ft wide)
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Porites furcata PFUR
How differs from Porites porites:branches are thinner, longer, more widely spaced, with more rounded tips
often darker colours (these are pale from bleaching)
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P. porites P. furcata PPOR PFUR
Which is Which?
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Porites divaricata PDIV
thin (<1 cm), short, widely-spaced branches, many subdivided near tip (“Y-shaped”)
grey, yellow-brown to brown
(clumps to ~ 30 cm/1 ft wide)
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Porites divaricata PDIV
How differs from Porites furcata:
thinner, shorter, more widely-spaced branches, more often divided at tips
smaller colonies
rare on fore reefs
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P. divaricata P. porites P. furcata PDIV PPOR PFUR
© E. Weil
Which is Which?
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Complications!
Some colonies look like “intermediates” ofP. porites and P. furcata
or ofP. furcata and P. divaricata
If unsure of species identity, code as Porites “digitate” PDIG
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Madracis auretenra MAUR
thin, fragile, near-parallel, and densely packed branches with blunt tips
polyps often expanded by day (look “fuzzy”)
cream, yellow or yellow-brown
(usually to ~ 1.5 m/5 ft)
*formerly called M. mirabilis, described as a new species by Locke et al. (2007)
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Madracis auretenra MAURclumps many meters/10s of feet wide occur in sheltered habitats
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M. auretenra P. porites MAUR PPOR(pale yellow) (light grey)
Which is Which?
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Madracis decactis MDEC
short, stubby knobs, crusts, lumpy crusts or short nodules
distinct polyps, with conspicuous septa (usually 10/polyp)
green, tan, grey, yellow-brown or dark brown
(to ~ 15 cm/6 in)
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Madracis decactis MDEC
How knobby morph differs from Madracis auretenra:
forms stubby knobs, notbranches
darker colours
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Madracis decactis MDEC
How knobby morph differs from Porites porites:
forms stubby knobs, notbranches
septa are distinct (can becounted underwater)
darker colours
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M. decactis P. porites MDEC PPOR
Which is Which?
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M. auretenra M. decactis MAUR MDEC
Which is Which?
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Madracis carmabi MCARand Madracis formosa MFOR
Both have thick branches with blunt tips
8 septa/polyp (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)
10 septa/polyp, perhapsa hybrid of M. formosa and M. decactis
or M. pharensis (Frade et al. 2010)
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Madracis carmabi MCARand Madracis formosa MFOR
How differ from M. decactis:thick, near-parallelbranches, with flattened tips
+ from M. auretenra:thicker, more widely spaced branches
Code as MADR if unsure of species identity
Madracis formosa MFOR
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M. formosa/ M. carmabi M. auretenra M. decactis MADR MAUR MDEC
Which is Which?
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Oculina diffusa ODIFshort, somewhat twisted branches with large, distinct polyps
yellow-brown, or may lack zooxanthellae
(to ~ 30 cm/1 ft)
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© P. Humann
Oculina diffusa ODIF
How differs from Madracis auretenra:
polyps are larger and more exert (protrude more above the skeleton)
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M. auretenra O. diffusa MAUR ODIF
Which is Which?
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Acropora ACRO
All species:tiny (axial) polyps at the tips of actively growing branches are colourless (look white)
lateral (radial) polyps are brown or yellow-brown (contain zooxanthellae)
Acropora palmataAcropora palmata
Acropora cervicornisAcropora cervicornis
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Acropora palmata APAL
large branches, cylindrical where exposed to waves
can form large colonies (to ~ 4m/12 ft)
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Acropora palmata APAL
branches flatten in calm water
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Acropora cervicornis ACER
long, slender (1-3 cm), round branches
(to ~ 3m/10 ft)
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Acropora cervicornis ACERcan form very large clumps
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Acropora prolifera APRO
a hybrid of A. palmata and A. cervicornis
branches (0.5-2 cm wide) look like “intermediates” between those of A. palmata and of A. cervicornis
(to ~ 1.5 m/5 ft)
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Acropora prolifera APRO
How “palmate” form differs from A. palmata: short branches don’tfuse into large thickmasses
smaller colonies
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Acropora prolifera APROHow bushy form differs from A. cervicornis:branches are closer together, sometimes narrower, and more likely to have a horizontal orientation
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A. prolifera A. palmata A. cervicornis APRO APAL ACER
Which is Which?
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Millepora spp. MILL
How Millepora differs from the scleractinian stony corals:
Millepora complanata
tiny polyps armed with stinging tentacles that protrude from the small pores visible in colony surfaces
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Millepora complanata MCOM
narrow, upright lobes above an encrusting base
yellow to tan
(to ~ 60 cm/2 ft)
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Millepora complanata MCOM
A distinctive form of MCOM with short blades that often split to form narrow “boxes” is classified by some asMillepora striata (MSTR).
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Millepora squarrosa MSQU
short, box-like structures with thick walls, blunt tips above an encrusting base
tan to yellow-brown with characteristic reddish, pinkish or lavendar tints
(to ~ 5 cm/2 in)
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M. complanata M. squarrosa MCOM MSQU
Which is Which?