Nemenzophyllia turbida
Hodgson and Ross, 1981
Description: Colonies may be several metres across and are composed of interconnecting meandering thin walled flabello-meandroid valleys. Valleys are 8-10 millimetres wide and may be up to 200 millimetres high. Usually living parts of colonies are separated by dead basal parts. Valley walls and septa are both thin and fragile. Septa are in three orders, those of the first order are up to 5 millimetres exsert and meet at the valley centre where they may curve and form a columella-like median wall. Costae are exsert. Polyps have fleshy mantles, which form a continuous cover of compact discs.
Color: Grey, sometimes with pale margins to mantles.
Habitat: Turbid or sheltered reef environments.
Abundance: Rare but conspicuous.
Similar Species: Plerogyra discus. Colonies may resemble the mussid Blastomussa wellsi, which also has fleshy mantles. See also the faviid Platygyra carnosus.
Taxonomic note: This species was formerly placed in genus Plerogyra by the Charlie Veron. If further research shows that Plerogyra discus is the same species the genus Plerogyra would again be applicable. Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic reference: Hodgson and Ross (1981).
A small colony with irregular mantles. The underlying skeleton is mostly dead. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Roger Steene
Detail of mantles. Dumaguete, Philippines Photograph: Doug Fenner
Colonies may form a continuous cover of interconnected mantles. Dumaguete, Philippines Photograph: Doug Fenner
Skeletal detail. Showing valleys.
Colony surface. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Roger Steene