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 5 Part 1: To Echinopora Part 2: Genus Hydnophora  Part 3: Genus Merulina Part 4: To Genus Paramontastrea

Bob Fenner

Genus Pectinia Oken 1815: Laminar to branching colonies of high, thin walls.  /WA Corals:  large fleshy colourful polyps • lightly calcified and fragile colonies • corallite walls absent • septa dentate • subarborescent or laminar with vertical spires
This genus was formerly placed in the family Pectiniidae.

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Pectinia alcicornis (Saville-Kent 1871). Colonies are formed of irregular upright elements which on microscopic inspection have ridges that are minutely toothed. Usually mottled brown or green in color. Queensland, Australia at right. Below: Aquarium, N. Sulawesi and Fiji images.

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Pectinia ayleni (Wells 1935). Encrusting or tiered laminae that have vertical walls. Here in Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia.

Pectinia elongata Rehberg 1892. Characteristically spiral-arranged colonies. Brown to green in overall color. Found in muddy, slow moving waters in sandy substrates and reef slopes.

Pectinia lactuca (Pallas 1766) Lettuce, Plate Coral. Indo-Pacific; Madagascar to Fiji. Colonies form submassive plates that may be up t a meter across, with valleys that generally can be traced to the center. All brown, grey or green in color. Aquarium (common swollen appearance) and  Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia images.

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Pectinia paeonia Palm Lettuce Coral. Indo-Pacific; Sri Lanka, Maldives to Fiji. Hand sized colonies are common on turbid water fringing reefs and reef flats with cleaner waters. Photosynthetic and feeder on small zooplankton. A hardy aquarium species that does best with strong lighting and water movement. Easily propagated by "fragging".   Indo. photo.

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Pectinia teres, Lembeh Strait, Sulawesi, Indo.

 

 Genus Scapophyllia Milne Edwards & Haime 1849.  /WA Corals: columar with encrusting or laminar margins • corallites in meandroid valleys • thick septa

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Coral Search

Borneman, Eric H. 2001. Aquarium Corals; Selection, Husbandry and Natural History. Microcosm-TFH NJ, USA. 464 pp.

Fossa, Svein A. & Alf Jacob Nilsen. 1998 (1st ed.). The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium, v.2 (Cnidarians). Bergit Schmettkamp Verlag, Borhheim, Germany. 479pp.

Hoover, John. 1998. Hawai'i's Sea Creatures. A Guide to Hawai'i's Marine Invertebrates. Mutual Publishing, Honolulu HI. 366pp. 

Humann, Paul. 1993. Reef Coral Identification; Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World Publications, Inc. Jacksonville, FL.  239pp.

Perun, Blane. 2001. Never say die- Treating Hydnophora corals. TFH 8/01.

Veron, J.E.N. 1986. Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. U. of HI press, Honolulu. 644 pp.