species: Porites cylindrica in Green Island (Gaia Guide)
Green Island > Animalia > Cnidaria > Hexacorallia > Poritidae > Porites cylindrica (gallery)
Porites cylindrica


©Anne: Corallite detail of blue colony of Porites cylindrica at Lizard Island

©David Witherall and Cate Bramhamwhyte: Finger Boulder Coral, Porites cylindrica, Green Island

©Andy: A grey colony of Porites cylindrica at the lagoon entrance channel, Lizard Island

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Scleractinia
Family Poritidae
Genus Porites
Species Porites cylindrica
Status near threatened

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Colours

         

Distinguishing features

A coral that forms branched colonies that can reach very large sizes. Corallites are small and embedded. Colour is typically light yellow-brown or grey.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Similar taxa

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Protected lagoons and back reef margins.

Can be found in most habitats around Lizard Island.

Behaviour

P. cylindrica is a common species at Lizard Island that forms large mono-specific stands in many areas. It is resistant to feeding by Crown of Thorns Starfish and so has survived the 1990's outbreak with little loss.

This species is a gonochoric broadcast spawner.

Web resources

References

  • Almany, G.R. (2004). Priority effects in coral reef fish communities of the Great Barrier Reef, Ecology, 85: 2872-2880. LIRS catalog number 879.
  • Baird, A.H. (2001). The ecology of coral larvae: settlement patterns, habitat selection and the length of the larval phase, Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 716.
  • 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.
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