Acropora abrolhosensis
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| Acropora abrolhosensis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Acroporidae |
| Genus: | Acropora |
| Species: | A. abrolhosensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Acropora abrolhosensis Veron, 1985 | |
Acropora abrolhosensis is a species of acroporid coral that was first described by John Veron in 1985. Found in sheltered lagoons and shallow reefs, it is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. The population of the species is decreasing, and most specimens are found in Western Australia, but occurs in many other areas. It is also listed under CITES Appendix II.
Acropora abrolhosensis specimens are found in tree-shaped colonies and are pink, blue, or brown, and the branch tips are pale in colour.[2] These colonies consist of several straight branches, which have large axial corallites (at the end of each branch) and the radial corallites (up the side of each branch) contain circular openings and have swollen ends.[2][3] The colonies can be over 10 m (33 ft) wide and 2 m (6.6 ft) high, and are sometimes compact.[2][3] Its axial corallites are 2.5 to 3.5 millimetres (0.098 to 0.138 in) in diameter.[3] It is similar to Acropora copiosa and Acropora loisetteae.[2] The species is found at depths of 2 to 18 m (6.6 to 59.1 ft), and is found in enclosed sheltered lagoons and the slopes of sheltered reefs.[1]