Poritidae
| Poritidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Porities sp. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Anthozoa |
| Subclass: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Poritidae [1] |
| Genera | |
|
| |
Poritidae is a family of stony corals. Members of the family are colonial hermatypic (reef-building) corals. They are variable in size and form but most are massive, laminar or ramose as well as branching and encrusting. The corallites are compact with very little coenosteum covering the skeleton. The walls of the corallites and the septa are porous. J.E.N. Veron considers the family is not a natural grouping but is a miscellaneous collection of genera that do not fit well elsewhere.[1][2]
Genera
The World Register of Marine Species includes the following genera in the family:[1][3]
- Alveopora de Blainville, 1830 - About 18 species. The polyps have 12 tentacles.
- Goniopora de Blainville, 1830 - About 30 species. The polyps have 24 tentacles.
- Machadoporites - Monotypic. The only species is Machadoporites tantillus
- Porites - About 80 species.
- Poritipora - Monotypic. The only species is Poritipora paliformis.
- Stylaraea - Monotypic. The only species is Stylaraea punctata.
References
- 1 2 3 WoRMS (2010). "Poritidae; Gray, 1847". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
- ↑ Veron, J. E. N. (1985). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
- ↑ Poritid Corals, Family Poritidae WetWebMedia.com. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
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