Related FAQs: Merulinids 1, Merulinids 2, & FAQs on: Merulinid Identification, Merulinid Behavior, Merulinid Compatibility, Merulinid Selection, Merulinid Systems, Merulinid Feeding, Merulinid Disease, Merulinid Reproduction/Propagation, & Stony/True Coral, Coral System Set-Up, Coral System Lighting, Stony Coral Identification, Stony Coral Selection, Coral Placement,  Foods/Feeding/Nutrition, Disease/Health, Propagation, Growing Reef Corals,  Stony Coral Behavior, SPS Identification, SPS Behavior, SPS Compatibility, SPS Selection, SPS Systems, SPS Feeding, SPS Disease, SPS Reproduction, Related Articles: Small Polyp Stony Corals,  Stony or True Corals, Order Scleractinia, Dyed Corals, /The Best Livestock For Your Reef Aquarium:  Corals of the Family Merulinidae, Part 4 Part 1: To Echinopora Part 2: Genus Hydnophora  Part 3: Genus Merulina Part 5: Genus Pectinia

Bob Fenner

Genus Mycedium Oken 1815: Laminar colonies with corallites facing the outer margins as leafy extensions. Up to 2m in diameter. Separate corallites that protrude at angles. Septa exsert extending beyond the surface toward the outer edges. /WA Corals: colonies laminar, can form whorls • corallites exert, inclined to margin • no pits in skeleton held up to the light
This genus was formerly placed in the family Pectiniidae.  

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Mycedium elephantotus (Pallas 1776) Elephant Nose or Peacock Coral. Polyps similar to Oxypora, but face away (like periscopes) toward colony margins. Not commonly offered, though a hardy, interesting coral, sometimes of great colors. Appreciate bright lighting, mounting vertically or otherwise placed in areas of low siltation. Right: Close up in N. Sulawesi. Below: Red Sea, Fiji, N. Sulawesi images.

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Mycedium steenei Veron 2000. Delicate colonies of less than a foot across, composed of uni-facial fronds in succeeding whorls. N. Sulawesi pic.

Genus Oulophyllia. Convex or hemispherical colonies of meandering valleys with corallites arranged in short, discontinuous valleys (wider than Platygyra; 10-20mm wide; thin, lamellar in Leptoria). /WA Corals:  massive or thick encrusting plates • corallites monocentric or in rows (meandroid) • large deep valleys >2cm wide • large septal teeth • distinctive colonies
This genus was formerly placed in the family Faviidae by some. See it there.

Genus Paragoniastrea Huang, Benzoni & Budd 2014.  /WA Corals: massive, encrusting • corallites are fully or partly meandroid • septa have fine teeth • obvious paliform lobes • budding intratentacular 

Genus Paramontastrea Huang & Budd 2014,  /WA Corals: massive colonies • exert plocoid corallites • granulated septocostae • paliform crown
http://www.corallosphere.org/genus/1861.html: The name sets this taxon in contrast to other species present in both Indo-Pacific and Atlantic reefs that were classed according to superficial similarities in the genus Montastrea (sensu Veron, 1986: 502, 2000, vol. 3, p. 212). The latter is now restricted in modern scleractinians to the phylogenetically distinct Atlantic species, Montastraea cavernosa. 

Paramontastrea peresi (Faure & Pichon 1978). /COTW: Characters: Colonies are encrusting and helmet-shaped, with neatly scalloped lower margins. Corallites are angular and characteristically aligned in short shallow radiating valleys at the colony margin. Septa are strongly beaded. A small neat paliform crown is usually present. Budding is both intra- and extratentacular. Colour: Pinkish-tan. Similar Species: Unlike other Goniastrea. Goniastrea aspera does not have corallites aligned in valleys. See also G. palauensis and Favites abdita. Habitat: Shallow reef environments. Abundance: Common. Taxonomic Note: Placed in Paramontastrea by Huang, Benzoni, Fukami et al. (2014). Possibly warrants a separate genus. Red Sea image.

Genus Platygyra Ehrenberg 1834. Brain Corals. Massive colonies that are either flat or rough boulder-like. Centers of corallites (columellae) are sponge-like. If you look closely you can see rows of mouths along the valleys. Coelastrea is a synonym for Platygyra according to COTW. /WA Corals: massive, encrusting • corallites are ceroid • septa have fine teeth • obvious paliform lobes • budding intratentacular
This genus was formerly placed in the family Faviidae by some. See it there. 

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Platygyra acuta Veron 2000. Boulder-like colonies with meandering corallites that show sharp walls

Platygyra daedalea (Ellis & Solander 1786). Massive, encrusting to hemispherical colonies that are meandroid, with corallites that are thick-walled. Exsert septa that appear ragged. Color: Generally brown with green valleys. Common. Below: Red Sea images.

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Platygyra lamellina (Ehrenberg 1834). Massive colonies whose corallites have thick walls that are uniform and rounded. Fiji and Red Sea images.

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Platygyra sinensis (Milne Edwards and Haime 1849). Thin-walled septa that are outwardly facing. No obvious centers (columellae). Fiji image.

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