Galaxea fascicularis
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Cnidaria
Class
Anthozoa
Order
Scleractinia
Family
Oculinidae
Genus
Galaxea
Species
Galaxea fascicularis
Status
near threatened
Colours
Distinguishing features
A coral with an encrusting to massive or submassive growth form, which can reach large sizes of more than 5m. Corallites are plocoid, with prominent exsert septa, and tentacles which are usually extended during the day. Colour is typically brown, grey or green, with differently coloured tentacles and septa.
Size
- Size data has not been obtained.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
-
Animalia:
species: Galaxea astreata
has smaller corallites (usually 3 to 4.5 mm diameter) than Galaxea fascicularis (up to 10 mm diameter) although corallites of both species vary in a single colony. Tentacles of Galaxea astreata are rarely fully extended during the day, unlike Galaxea fascicularis(Veron, 2000).
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.
Local abundance
- Lizard Island: Common
Behaviour
Galaxea fascicularis is a pseudo-gynodioecious broadcast spawner. Female colonies produce eggs and male colonies produce sperm packaged with nonviable eggs, which potentially provide buoyancy for the male gametes.
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.
- Berumen, M.L. (2000). Influence of diet and habitat on the condition of butterflyfish, M.Sc. thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 719.
- Dinesen, Z.D. (1983). Shade-dwelling corals of the Great Barrier Reef, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 10: 173-185. LIRS catalog number 157.
- View all references