Porites murrayensis
Vaughan, 1918
Records from the western Indian Ocean are doubtful.
Description: Colonies are hemispherical or spherical, up to 0.2 metres across. The colony surface is smooth and corallites are evenly spaced.
Color: Usually cream or brown, but may be bright colours in shallow water.
Habitat: Shallow clear water, especially reef flats.
Abundance: Sometimes common.
Similar Species: Porites lobata, which is distinguished by its larger corallites and longer septa. Porites stephensoni has similar corallite characters.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic references: Wells (1954), Veron and Pichon (1982). Identification guides: Veron (1986), Nishihira and Veron (1995).
A small colony with a typically smooth surface. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron
Corallite detail. Icon diagrams of fully developed corallite characters.