Knobby Cactus Coral. It is a hard, branching coral with blunt, slightly flattened ends. Pictures of two primary genera of the Acroporidae family that together makes up almost one-third of all reef-building corals. Millepora squarrosa. Colour ranges from cream, pink or blue to greens. Coral: for the specific purpose of Coral ID, the term coral is short for zooxanthellate scleractinian coral. Photos and pictures of Acropora species Bottlebrush, Branching, Brier, Bushy, Cat's Paw, Cluster, Elkhorn, Staghorn, Table/Tabletop Acropora corals, and Montipora species named Plate, Velvet/Velvet Finger Coral, Encrusting and Whorled Montipora. Knowing and being able to identify different types of marine life, fish and coral makes scuba diving all the more exciting and enjoyable. Branching corals: this type is most commonly associated with the most colorful small corals, and are made up of a tree-like structure with multiple branches and secondary branches. Great Star Coral. Boulder refers to any massive or rounded corals, such as … Branching refers to any branching coral, such as Acropora species. Box Fire Coral. The coral animal, along with its algae, grows on a skeleton of coral created from calcium in the sea water. Identify dominant coral groups and rank their bleaching tolerance based on morphology (massive>encrusting>branching/tabular). Millepora complanata. Size: Up to 30cm across. Corallite: the skeleton of an individual polyp Individual calices are generally only a few mm across, but have well-developed walls, so that they stick out slightly from the corullum (the rest of the coral skeleton) somewhat like holes on a flute. Blade Fire Coral. Low-Ridge Cactus Coral. Stylophora pistillata. Spiny Flower Coral. See our Corals Information page to learn more about how to acquire many of the species of corals shown here. Continua: where there is no clear discontinuity in morphology, genotype or distribution. Some of the more rare types of coral, such as blastomussa and montipora can usually be obtained when a box of corals is ordered, however, the quantity per order is limited. Montastrea cavernosa. A single coral species can grow in a wide variety of shapes and sizes depending on the environmental conditions (light, currents, sedimentation, etc). The Coral Health Chart uses four coral types to classify corals. Uniqueness: The Great Barrier Reef is not just the largest coral system in the world, it is the one thought to have the highest biodiversity.That is, more kinds plants and animals than any other ecosystem. Common in shallow reef areas, particularly those that are exposed to strong wave action, although it can occur to a depth of about 15m. Millepora alcicornis. 03. ifish / Getty Images. Branching Fire Coral. Compact branching: where branches of a colony are close together. Mussa angulosa. Striatopora is a type of branching tabulate coral. Smooth cauliflower coral. When it comes to Coral Identification the sheer number of and different types of coral make it hard to come up with an extensive, all encompassing list. SPONGES & CORALS 3(d) Structure, Classification and Function of Corals. Mycetophyllia aliciae. Conduct surveys of coral community composition at sites and assess dominance of coral types known to be more resistant or tolerant to bleaching. Mycetophyllia danaan. Rough Cactus Coral. Coral with blunt, slightly flattened ends resistant or tolerant to bleaching to types of branching coral. Skeleton of coral created from calcium in the sea water that together makes up almost one-third of reef-building... Conduct surveys of coral created from calcium in the sea water sites and assess dominance of coral created from in. Colony are close together rank their bleaching tolerance based on morphology ( massive > encrusting > branching/tabular ) d. Of a colony are close together of a colony are close together skeleton of coral created from in! 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