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Related Articles: True or
Stony Corals, Order Scleractinia,
/The Best Livestock For Your Reef Aquarium:
Corals of the Family
Coscinaraeidae
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By Bob Fenner
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Genus Coscinaraea Milne Edwards & Haime 1848.
/WA Corals: massive, columnar or flat plates • corallites can be aligned
between raised ridges that occur parallel to the colony margin • well
developed columellae • common on temperate reefs • similar to Leptoseris
Coscinaraea columna, (Dana 1846). /COTW "
Colonies
are encrusting or massive, sometimes hillocky. Columellae are
compacted pinnules set well below
the septo-costae. Septo-costae are not heavily granulated.
Colour: Usually
bright greenish-yellow, also greys and browns.
Similar
Species: Coscinaraea
exesa, which has a columnar growth-form, and corallites
which are shallower,
larger, and have granulated septo-costae.
Habitat: Shallow
reef environments.
Abundance: Sometimes common.
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Coscinaraea monile (Forskal 1775),
colonies encrusting or dome-shaped. calices monocentric, to 7mm. in
diameter. Septa are very even, finely serrated. /COTW:
Characters: Colonies
are usually encrusting or dome-shaped. Calices are monocentric, up to 7
millimetres diameter, or form short valleys. Septa are even and finely
serrated, giving colonies a smooth surface.
Colour: Usually
uniformly grey, sometimes tan, brown, or mottled colours.
Similar Species: Distinctive
and unlike other Coscinaraea.
Habitat: Most
reef environments.
Abundance: Common
in the western Indian Ocean, uncommon in the central Indo-Pacific.
Sinai 2019; a vertical of a wave-impacted colony and one more protected from
such energy. |
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Coscinaraea (Cycloseris) wellsi Veron & Pichon
1980. /COTW:
Characters: Colonies
are thin, often overlapping laminae, with lobed margins. Corallites are
irregularly distributed with deep seated columellae and thick,
granulated septo-costae.
Colour: Green,
brown or red-brown, with white perimeters.
Similar
Species: Psammocora
explanulata, which has smaller corallites and petaloid
septo-costae. See also Leptoseris
scabra.
Habitat: Usually
found encrusting vertical or overhung faces.
Abundance: Uncommon.
Taxonomic
Note: Placed in genus Cycloseris by Benzoni,
Arrigoni, Stefani et al. (2012) based mainly on genetic
evidence. It is retained here as a Coscinaraea because
it does not match the distinctive genus-level characters of Cycloseris,
which represent predominantly solitary, unattached mushroom corals.
https://reefbuilders.com/2019/11/19/coscinaraea-cycloseris-wellsi-the-unknown-coral-from-the-deep/
Wakatobi, Indo. 2006 |
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