# Presentation: 722860

## √ Coral Species ID 

** **

- □ Colony shape (branching, mound, plates, column, crust, etc)
- □ Colony surface (bumpy, smooth, ridges)
- □ Polyp/Corallite Size (small, big)
- □ Polyp/Corallite shape (round/elliptical, irregular, y-shaped, ‘ innies vs outies’ ridge/valley)
- □ Polyp color (green, brown, tan, yellow, olive, red)

## Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment

- www.agrra.org

**University of Miami, RSMAS**
**Dr. Robert Ginsburg**

## Different corallite shapes & sizes

## Examples of massive stony corals

*Diploria*
*strigosa*

- © W. Harrigan

- © M. White

- © S. Suleimán

- © R. Steneck

**Examples of massive stony corals**

*Montastraea faveolata*

*Montastraea cavernosa*

*Porites*
*astreoides*

## Montastraea faveolata   MFAV

- © S. Thornton

- © S. Thornton

- Form very large mounds, plates
- or crusts  (to 4-5 m /12-15 ft)

- Small, round  polyps

## Montastraea faveolata   MFAV

- Surfaces smooth, ridged, or with bumps aligned in vertical rows

- © W. Harrigan

- © M. Weber

- © R. Steneck

## M. faveolata   MFAV

- Colonies are flattened, massive-plates with smooth surfaces under conditions of low light.

- © T. Turner

## Montastraea annularis   MANN

- How similar to *M. faveolata*
- Small polyps
- Smooth surface
- How different
- Colonies are subdivided into numerous mounds or
- columns with live polyps at
- their summits.
- Plates at colony bases under low light conditions.
- (to 3-4 m/9-12 ft)

***Montastraea annularis   *****MANN**

**Notes:**
Background name:
Deep_Blue.tif 

## Which is which?

*M. faveolat*a MFAV

**Which is which?**

*M. annularis *
- MANN

- © L. Benvenuti

**Notes:**
Background name:
Deep_Blue.tif 

## Montastraea franksi   MFRA

- © P. Humann

- Close-up

- How similar to *M. faveolata*
- Small polyps and bumps
- How different
- Some polyps in bumps
- are larger, irregularly
- shaped, and may lack
- zooxanthellae.
- More aggressive spatial competitor.

## Montastraea franksi   MFRA

***Montastraea franksi   *****MFRA**

- How similar to
*M. faveolata*
- Form mounds,
- short columns,
- crusts, and/or
- plates.
- How different
- Bumps are scattered
- over colony surface.
- (to 3-4 m/9-12 ft)

## Montastraea franksi   MFRA

- Flattened, massive plate morphology in low light conditions.

**Notes:**
Needs photographer

## Solenastrea bournoni   SBOU

- How similar to *M. annularis*
- Small round polyps
- Mounds
- How different
- Lighter colors in life,
- Walls of some polyps are
- more distinct  (“outies”)
- Bumpy colony surface
- (to ~1/2 m/<20 in)

***Solenastrea bournoni   *****SBOU**

**Notes:**
NEEDS A PHOTO
Deep_Blue.tif 

## Solenastrea hyades   SHYA

- How similar to *S. bournoni*
- Light colours
- Polyps with distinct walls
- How different
- Irregular, lobes above
- an encrusting base
- (to ~2/3 m/2 ft)

***Solenastrea hyades   *****SHYA**

- Humann (1993).

**Notes:**
NEEDS A PHOTO
Deep_Blue.tif 

## Montastraea cavernosa   MCAV

- © J. Lang

- Close-up

- large, round polyps

## M.cavernosa   MCAV

***M.cavernosa   *****MCA*****V***

- Mounds, single columns,
- thick crusts or thick plates.
- (< 3 m/9 ft)
- Pink fluoresence
- sometimes seen
- underwater is due to a
- symbiotic cyanobacterium
- in the polyps.

- © E. Weil

**Notes:**
Needs photographer

## M. Cavernosa   MCAV

- © T. Turner

- Colonies can form
- flattened, massive-
- plates in low light
- conditions.

## Dichocoenia stokesi   DSTO

- How similar to* M. cavernosa*
- Distinct polyps
- Mounds, crusts or plates

- © R. Steneck

***Dichocoenia stokesi   *****DSTO**

- How different
- At least some elliptical
- and Y-shaped polyps
- (usually <.5 m/18 in)

## Favia fragum   FFRA

**How similar to ***D. stokesi*
- Distinct, round-elongated  polyps, some are Y-shaped.
- How different
- Polyps look more “spread out.”
- Smaller colonies
- (usually <10cm/4 in)

***Favia fragum   *****FFRA**

- © P. Humann

**Notes:**
Need proper photos--from Humann

## Palythoa caribaeorum

***Palythoa caribaeorum***

*M.  cavernosa*

*Palythoa*

**Close-up**

- How similar to
*M. cavernosa and D. stokesi*
- Distinct polyps, some round
- and others elliptical
- Cream or light tan colour

- How different
- Soft-bodied crusts
- Very aggressive spatial
- competitor

- © P. Humann

- © R. McCall

## Palythoa caribaeorum

***Palythoa caribaeorum***
*** ***
- Can be an excellent, early bleaching indicator

-  partially bleached colonies

## Siderastrea siderea SSID

- Sunken polyps (“innies”) with thin septa

- © R. Steneck

## Siderastrea siderea SSID

- Mounds
- (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)

**bleached**

*Siderastrea siderea* SSID

- © R. Steneck

## Siderastrea siderea SSID

- Fluorescent colours in some bleached colonies.

- bleached

- © R. Ginsburg

- dead

## Siderastrea radians   SRAD

- Irregular, sunken “pinched” polyps with fatter septa
- Small (to ~1/3 m/12 in)

**Notes:**
Needs good photo--taken from Humann

## Which is which?

*S. siderea*

*S. radians*

## Stephanocoenia intersepta  SINT

- Flat polyps which are darker (have more zoox. pigments) than intervening tissues
- “Blush” when contracting
- Mounds or crusts
- (to <1 m/<3 ft)

**Notes:**
Need proper photos--these from Humann

## Porites astreoides   PAST

- Yellow, yellow-green or olive
- (shallow), gray or brown
- (deep or shade)
- Small mounds, thick crusts
- or plates
- (usually < 1 m/3 ft)

- © E. Weil

***Porites astreoides   *****PAST**

## Porites astreoides   PAST

- but tall and look
- “fuzzy” when
- expanded.
- Colony surfaces
- are usually bumpy.

- Close-up

***Porites astreoides   *****PAST**

- © P. Humann

## Colpophyllia natans   CNAT

***Colpophyllia natans   *****CNAT**

- © A. Bruckner

- Close-up

- How different from other
- brain corals
- Has narrow “lines” along the
- top, and midway down the
- sides, of the ridges.
- Often bicoloured

## Colpophyllia natans   CNAT

- Forms largest of brain coral mounds in shallow water.
- (to ~3 m/10 ft)

***Colpophyllia natans   *****CNAT**

- © R. Steneck

## Colpophyllia natans   CNAT

- © T. Turner

- Forms massive-plates
- in low light conditions

## Diploria labyrinthiformis   DLAB

- Distinct groove along  middle of ridge–can be deeper and wider than the
- valleys.

- © R. McCall

***Diploria labyrinthiformis   *****DLAB**

- Close-up

## Diploria labyrinthiformis   DLAB

***Diploria labyrinthiformis   *****DLAB**

- © R. McCall

- Mounds
- in shallow
- water
- (to >1 m/4 ft)

## Diploria strigosa   DSTR

***Diploria strigosa   *****DSTR**

- © L. Benvenuti

- How different from other brain corals
- No distinct groove
- along  middle of
- ridge.
- Mounds or crusts
- in shallow water.
- (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)

## Diploria strigosa

**DSTR**

- Massive-plates in low light conditions

- © Q. Dokken

## Diploria clivosa   DCLI

- How different from other brain corals
- Narrow ridges
- Irregular, lumpy
- crusts in
- shallow water
- (to >1 m/4 ft)

***Diploria clivosa   *****DCLI**

- © R. Steneck

## Meandrina meandrites   MMEA

***Meandrina meandrites   *****MMEA**

- killing  *P. astreoides*

- killing  *P. astreoides*

- Mounds and
- massive-plates
- Very aggressive
- for a stony coral
- (to ~1 m/3 ft)

**Notes:**
?Hays Cummins?

## Meandrina meandrites   MMEA

- Polyps in meandering
- ridges and valleys
- How different
- Thick septa
- Heavier skeletons
- Polyps look bloated
- when expanded
- Some  colonies form
- columns or small
- conical shapes

- Close-up

***Meandrina meandrites   *****MMEA**

- © R. McCall

## All species 

- All species*** ***
- Meandroid
- Raised polyp
- centers look like
- stars
- Small mounds,* *
- plates or crusts

*Mycetophyllia aliciae*

- © P. Dustan

***Mycetophyllia *****spp.**

## Mycetophyllia lamarckiana   MLAM + M. danaana   MDAM

- Fleshy polyps
- Mounds, cones, thick
- plates
- (to ~ 1/3 m/12 in)

**Notes:**
Needs photos--these from Humann

## Mycetophyllia aliciae   MALI

***Mycetophyllia aliciae   *****MALI**

- Thick crusts or
- plates
- Ridges much
- reduced in low
- light conditions
- (to ~ 1/2 m/20 in.)

- © P. Dustan

## Mycetophyllia ferox   MFER

***Mycetophyllia ferox   MFER***

- Narrow ridges
- and valleys
- Thin crusts or
- plates
- (to ~2/3 m/2 ft)

- © A. Budd

**Notes:**
Nancy B

## Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN

- Narrow line along
- top of ridges
- Small mounds
- (to ~20 cm/8 in)

***Isophyllia sinuosa *****ISIN**

- © R. Steneck

## Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN

- Fleshier polyps
- No “stars’ around
- mouths

***Isophyllia sinuosa *****ISIN**

- © D. Fenner

- © D. Fenner

## Which is which?

*Isophyllia sinuosa *ISIN

*M. lamarckiana *MLAM

**Notes:**
Needs photos

## Isophyllastrea rigida   IRIG

- Thin line along ridge
- tops
- Small mounds
- (to <20 cm/8 in)
- How different
- Very short, constricted valleys usually only have 1-2 polyps

***Isophyllastrea rigida   *****IRIG**

- © R. Steneck

- How similar to *Isophyllia sinuosa*

## Scolymia lacera   SLAC

- Lighter polyp colours
- More aggressive to
- other stony corals
- (to ~15 cm/6 in)

***Scolymia lacera   *****SLAC**

- © R. Steneck

- How different from *Scolymia cubensis*

## Agaricia agaricites AAGA

- Form plates, crusts, lumps, and keeled colonies
- Smallest of the agariciids
-  (to ~ 1 m/3 ft)

***Agaricia agaricites *****AAGA**

- plate

- lump

- keels

**Notes:**
Need good photos--these from Humann

## Agaricia tenuifolia   ATEN

-  Tiny, reticulate polyps on both sides of thin keels.

***Agaricia tenuifolia   *****ATEN**

- © R. Steneck

## Agaricia tenuifolia   ATEN

***Agaricia tenuifolia   *****ATEN**

- © R. Steneck

- How different from *A. agaricites*

## Agaricia lamarcki   ALAM

- Thick, dense plates
- Distinct polyp mouths
- (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)

***Agaricia lamarcki   *****ALAM**

**Notes:**
Need good photos--these from Humann

## Leptoseris (Helioseris) cucullata   LCUC

- Thin plates, not reticulate
- Distinct septa; polyp mouths point towards colony margin
- (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)

***Leptoseris (Helioseris) cucullata   *****LCUC**

- Can be confused
- with *A. undata*
- (has smaller,
- straighter ridges;
- Humann p. 142)

**Notes:**
Need good photos--this from Humann

## Examples of branching stony corals

*Acropora*
*cervicornis*

*Acropora*
*palmata*

- © R. McCall

*Porites*
*porites*

- © K. Desai

- © R. McCall

- Fragment easily; colony boundaries may be indistinct

## Porites porites   PPOR

- Fat, stubby branches with blunt tips

- © R. Steneck

## Porites porites   PPOR

- (Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide)

*Millepora *
*complanata*

- © K. Desai

## Porites furcata  

***Porites furcata  ***
**PFUR**

- Thin, long  branches
- with round tips
- (Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide)

- © R. Steneck

***Porites divaricata *****PDIV**

- Thin, widely-spaced branches,
- many Y-shaped at tip
- (Clumps to ~1/3 m/1ft wide)

**Notes:**
Needs proper photos--top from Humann

## Acropora cervicornis   ACER

- © R. Steneck

- Long, thin round branches
- (contiguous colonies
-  to ~3m/10 ft)

## Acropora palmata   APAL

- © K. Desai

*Millepora *
*complanata*

- Flattened or thick-rounded  branches

## Acropora palmata   APAL

- Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide

- © R. McCall

- (Continguous colonies to ~4m/12 ft)

## Acropora prolifera  APRO

- Intermediate in appearance & is a hybrid between *A. palmata* and *A. cervicornis*
- See Human p. 91

## Madracis mirabilis   MMIR

***Madracis mirabilis   *****MMIR**

- Close-up

- Thin, near-parallel branches with blunt tips
- Often expanded by day.

- © M. Vermeij

## Madracis mirabilis   MMIR

- Dense clumps
- (Can be many meters/10s of ft wide in sheltered habitats)

- © R. Steneck

**Notes:**
Need better photo

## Madracis decactis   MDEC

- Short, stubby knobs
- or lumpy crusts
- 10 septa/polyp
- (to ~15 cm/6 in)

**Notes:**
Need photos; this from Human

## Madracis formosa  MFOR

- How different from *M. decactis*
- Upright branches
- With blunt tops
- 8-10 septa/polyp
- (to < 2m/6 ft)

**Notes:**
Need photos; this from Human

## Eusmilia fastigiata  EFAS

***Eusmilia fastigiata  *****EFAS**

- Round to ovoid, stalked poylps
- (to ~2/3 m/<3 ft)

- © R. Steneck

**Notes:**
Needs proper photos--this from Humann

## Mussa angulosa  MANG

***Mussa angulosa  *****MANG**

- How similar to *E. fastigiata*
- Stalked polyps, only alive at tips
- How different
- Polyps are fleshy,
- larger, round, and
- opaque in colour
- Septa have large teeth
- (to <1 m/3 ft)

**Notes:**
Needs proper photos--this from Humann

## Dendrogyra cylindrus   DCYL

***Dendrogyra cylindrus   *****DCYL**

- © L. Benvenuti

- Polyps usually expanded by day
- Dense columns,
- (to >3m/10 ft)

## Millepora spp.

***Millepora *****spp.**

- How different from scleractinian stony corals
- Smooth colony surface has tiny pores  with minute, translucent polyps.

- © R. McCall

*Millepora alcicornis*

**Notes:**
Needs proper photos--this from Humann

## Millepora complanata    MCOM

***Millepora complanata    *****MCOM**

- Box-like keels
- (to ~2/3 m/<3 ft)

- © R. Steneck

**Notes:**
Needs proper photos--this from Humann

## Millepora alcicornis    MALC

***Millepora alcicornis    *****MALC**

- How different from *M. complanata*
- Encrusts substratum and
- other organisms
- Small, rounded branches

- © R. Steneck

- (to ~1/2 m/<20 in)

- © R. Steneck

**Notes:**
Needs proper photos--this from Humann