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Family Siderastreidae, Vaughn & Wells 1943. Though hard to make out exactly with a live specimen and nothing to magnify the view, this widespread family's members are unified by characteristics of their individual polyp skeleton (corallite) structure. These are flush with the surrounding carbonate mass (coenosteum) by thick septo-costae, with the septa fused in the middle to form a fan or star-like grouping. Range: The six genera of Siderastreids really get around (five are Indo-Pacific, one Pacific and Atlantic). Found in the Red Sea, eastern African shores over to the mid-Pacific, Society Islands, along the tropical Eastern Pacific, tropical West Atlantic, Brazil, and tropical eastern Atlantic coast. Aquarium use: Oddly enough, for such common species in the wild, it is rare to find a Siderastreid offered for sale in the ornamental trade. Genus Coscinaraea Milne Edwards & Haime 1848. Now moved to its own family Coscinaraeidae Genus Psammacora Dana 1846, Pillar, Cat's Paw Coral. /WA Corals:
massive, columnar, branching, laminar or encrusting • corallites small, septa
fuse to form a flower pattern • coenosteum is granular
Genus Pseudosiderastrea Yabe & Sugiyama 1935. Monotypic. /WA Corals: small massive or encrusting colonies • corallites ceroid (shared walls) and shallow • corallites >10mm diameter • corallite walls are distinctively white • similar to Leptastrea
Genus Siderastrea de Blainville 1830. Starlet Coral. Perhaps the most widespread coral genus. Found most everywhere corals are found around the world.
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