Acropora hoeksemai
Acropora hoeksemai is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by Dr. Carden Wallace in 1997. Found in shallow reefs in a marine environment, it is found at depths of . It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List, and has a decreasing population. It is common, listed on Appendix II of CITES, and is found over a large range. Description. "Acropora hoeksemai" is found in colonies that can be wide, made of branches joined in the centre of the structure. Some larger colonies have been observed at over . It is a light  brown, white, or cream colour, and the branch ends are upturned, except on the outside of the structure. These branches are not regular, and contain both axial and radial corallites. Axial corallites can have diameters of between . Radial corallites are tube-shaped, neat, orderly, and they are the same sizes. They contain basic spinules. The branches may grow to lengths of up to and diameters of between . It is found in marine environments in shallow reefs at depths of , and also on slopes and walls of reefs. It reaches maturity at between three and eight years, and it is believed  to survive for more than ten years. It is composed of aragonite (calcium carbonate). When grown in captivity it reaches lengths of up to . "A. hoeksemai" looks similar to "Acropora valenciennesi" and species of the "Acropora divaricata" group. Distribution. "Acropora hoeksemai" is a common species and found over a large range; the Solomans, the Indo-Pacific oceans, Papua New Guinea, Okinawa, Southeast Asia, and Thailand. It is native to Australia, Indonesia (found in five regions), Malaysia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and the Solomon Islands. There is no specific population for the coral, but numbers are known  to be decreasing. It is easily damaged by disease and bleaching, and is also threatened by being prey to starfish "Acanthaster planci", climate change, temperature rises, fishing, infrastructure, and other human activities. Some species could be found in Marine Protected Areas. It is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and also appears on CITES Appendix II. Taxonomy. It was first described by C.C. Wallace in 1997 as "Acropora hoeksemai" in Indonesia.