species: Favia stelligera in taxonomy (Gaia Guide)
Animalia > Radiata > Cnidaria > Anthozoa > Anthozoa > Hexacorallia > Scleractinia > Faviina > Faviidae > Favia > Favia stelligera (gallery)
Favia stelligera


©Andy: A colony of Favia stelligera at Crystal Beach, Lizard Island

©Andy: Macro image of Favia stelligera showing the typical form of the corallites

©Andy: A purple colony of Favia stelligera near Palfrey Island, Lizard Island

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Scleractinia
Family Faviidae
Genus Favia
Species Favia stelligera
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Distinguishing features

A species that forms submassive colonies up to 2m diameter. Corallites are plocoid and relatively small for a Favid, with a conical shape and small opening and prominant palliform lobes. Colony colour is usually brown or purple-blue.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Reef fronts, shallow reef flats, lagoons adjacent to reef fronts.

Can be found in most habitats around Lizard Island, and is common in many reef front locations.

Behaviour

F. stelligera is a hermaphroditic broadcast spawner. Larvae are released without symbiotic zooxanthellae, but acquire these from seawater at about the 6th day after spawning.

Web resources

References

  • Baird, A.H., J.R. Guest and B.L. Willis (2009). Systematic and biogeographical patterns in the reproductive biology of scleractinian corals, Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 40: 551-571.
  • Baird, A.H. and P.A. Marshall (2000). Bleaching of corals on the Great Barrier Reef: differential susceptibilities among taxa, Coral Reefs, 19: 155-163.
  • Graham, E.M., A.H. Baird and S.R. Connolly (2008). Survival dynamics of scleractinian coral larvae and implications for dispersal, Coral Reefs, 27: 529-539.
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