Biology
provided by World Register of Marine Species
Azooxanthellate
- license
- cc-by-4.0
- copyright
- WoRMS Editorial Board
Depth range
provided by World Register of Marine Species
10-30 m
- license
- cc-by-4.0
- copyright
- WoRMS Editorial Board
Habitat
provided by World Register of Marine Species
cavernicolous
- license
- cc-by-4.0
- copyright
- WoRMS Editorial Board
Description
provided by Zookeys
Corallum attached and solitary or colonial by budding from basal coenosteum (Figures 3–4, 6–8). Calices predominantly monocentric, very thin, cup-shaped to foliaceous, height < 15 mm, outline irregularly circular, Ø < 30 mm (Figures 1–4, 6–8). They are usually separate from each other above the interconnecting basal plate (Figures 3b, 6, 7), but can also be fused at their margins or lateral sides (Figures 3a, 8b). Corallum wall massive. Costae equal and well defined, with small spiny protuberances (Figures 4a, 7a, 8d). Septa approximately equal in size, with smooth upper edges and parallel ridges (menianes) on their sides (Figures 3, 5, 8). Septal sides may show evenly distributed granulations where menianes are absent (Figures 8b–c). Columella nearly solid (Figures 3a, 3c–d, 8a–b). Living animals azooxanthellate; corals are white, or partly green or red (Figures 1–2), owing to the presence of endolithic algae (Kühl and Polerecky 2008).
- bibliographic citation
- Hoeksema B (2012) Forever in the dark: the cave-dwelling azooxanthellate reef coral Leptoseris troglodyta sp. n. (Scleractinia, Agariciidae) ZooKeys 228: 21–37
- author
- Bert W. Hoeksema
Distribution
provided by Zookeys
Records are from coral reefs, usually in areas with limestone outcrops: Indonesia (East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi), the central Philippines (Cebu, Bohol), Palau, eastern Papua New Guinea, and the Marianas (Guam) (Figure 9).
- bibliographic citation
- Hoeksema B (2012) Forever in the dark: the cave-dwelling azooxanthellate reef coral Leptoseris troglodyta sp. n. (Scleractinia, Agariciidae) ZooKeys 228: 21–37
- author
- Bert W. Hoeksema