Acropora microclados
Ehrenberg, 1834
Description: Colonies are corymbose plates up to approximately one metre across, with short, uniform, evenly spaced, tapered branchlets up to 10 millimetres thick at the base. Axial corallites are tubular and conspicuous. Incipient axial corallites are common. Radial corallites are irregular, mostly tubular and appressed, with sharp edged nariform openings.
Color: Usually a distinctive pale pinkish-brown, but is occasionally other colours. Pale grey tentacles are often extended during the day.
Habitat: Upper reef slopes.
Abundance: Usually uncommon.
Similar Species: Acropora massawensis, which forms prostrate colonies and has less tubular radial corallites. See also A. lamarcki, which has less exsert and less tubular radial corallites and A. macrostoma, which does not have nariform corallite openings.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic reference: Veron and Wallace (1984). Identification guides: Veron (1986), Nishihira and Veron (1995).
Forming a plate around Symphyllia recta. These plates usually appear pinkish-brown underwater. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron
Showing the tapered branchlets. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Ed Lovell
A small colony. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Charlie Veron
Skeletal detail. Axial and radial corallites.
Corallite detail. Fiji Photograph: Neville Coleman