all species

Acropora carduus

(Dana, 1846)

Description: Colonies form bottlebrush thickets with upright or prostrate main branches. Axial and incipient axial corallites are short and tapered. Radial corallites are small and pocket-shaped. All corallites have thick walls.
Color: Uniform pale brown or cream, rarely blue or mauve.
Habitat: Deep water or protected reef backs and lagoons.
Abundance: Common.
Similar Species: Acropora subglabra, which forms more open branches and has less numerous radial corallites with thinner walls. See also A. longicyathus and A. elseyi.

Source reference:

A compact thicket. Ryukyu Islands, Japan Photograph: Charlie Veron


Corallite detail. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Charlie Veron


Detail of branches. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron


Skeletal detail. Axial and radial corallites.

Other Species

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