Home > Corals > Acropora > Acropora gemmifera

Updated 11/4/2021

Family Acroporidae

INDO-PACIFIC

Acropora gemmifera

Utulei, Tutuila, American Samoa, 5 feet

 

East Taema Bank, American Samoa, 60 feet

 

BUD ACROPORA

Common on shallow reefs exposed to wave action.  Compact hemispheres with stout conical branches tapering to a rounded tip, axial corallites small, tubular radial corallites of two sizes, large ones increasing in size toward the base.  Color variable, sometimes with branch tips of contrasting color.  Acropora samoensis has large radial corallites that do not increase in size below, Acropora retusa with appressed radial corallites.  Indo-Pacific.

All coral skeletons illustrated are from scientific collections taken prior to 1998.