Acropora rosaria
Dana, 1846
Description: Colonies are upright bushes or cushion-like. Main branches have secondary and tertiary sub-branches. Axial corallites are large and dome-shaped but not elongate. Radial corallites are bead- or pocket-like. All corallites have thick walls.
Color: Usually cream or brown, sometimes bright blue or pink.
Habitat: Shallow reef environments.
Abundance: Sometimes common.
Similar Species: Acropora loripes, which has a less clearly upright branching pattern and tubular axial corallites which may be naked on one side, and more widely spaced radial corallites.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic reference: Wallace (1978). Identification guide: Nishihira and Veron (1995).
An upright bushy colony. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Charlie Veron
Showing branches and corallites. Pemba Island, Tanzania Photograph: Charlie Veron
Part of a bushy colony. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron
Skeletal detail. Axial and radial corallites.
Corallite detail. Flores, Indonesia Photograph: Charlie Veron