Acropora loripes
Brook, 1892
Central and western Indian Ocean colonies are distinctive.
Description: Colonies have many shapes varying from upright bushes to thick plates. There is a continuous range of shape and size between axial and radial corallites; both may be tubular to nearly spherical, with very thick walls. Tubular axial corallites often have no radial corallites on one side and pocket-like radial corallites on the other. All corallites are smooth and rounded.
Color: Usually pale blue or brown. Axial corallites are usually whitish.
Habitat: Upper reef slopes but occurs in a wide range of environments.
Abundance: Common in the central Indo-Pacific.
Similar Species: Acropora rosaria and A. appressa. Acropora caroliniana and A. granulosa have more elongate axial corallites. See also A. maryae.
Taxonomic note: This species is divisible into several smaller semi-distinct taxonomic units. Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic references: Veron and Wallace (1984), Wallace (1999). Identification guides: Veron (1986), Nishihira and Veron (1995).
A side-attached plate. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron
A small colony exposed to wave action. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Charlie Veron
Showing axial corallites devoid of radial corallites on one side. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Ed Lovell
Corallite detail. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Ed Lovell
Skeletal detail. Axial and radial corallites.
Colony exposed to wave action forming short thick branchlets. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Charlie Veron