Blastomussa wellsi
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| Blastomussa wellsi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In New Caledonia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Plerogyridae |
| Genus: | Blastomussa |
| Species: | B. wellsi |
| Binomial name | |
| Blastomussa wellsi Wijsman-Best, 1973 [2] | |
Blastomussa wellsi is a species of large polyp stony coral. It is unclear in which family the genus Blastomussa belongs.[2] This coral is found in the west and central Indo-Pacific region.
A colony of Blastomussa wellsi consists of a small group of corallites each with its own fleshy polyp. The mantle extends from the polyp over the corallite wall and obscures the underlying skeletal structure. The corallites are 9 to 14 millimetres (0.35 to 0.55 in) in diameter. The septa have small blunt teeth and are not arranged in orders. Some reach the columella in the centre of the calyx. This coral is brightly coloured, being dark red, green, grey or blue, often with contrasting oral discs.[3]