Acropora samoensis ( Brook, 1891 )

van der Meij, Sancia E. T. & Visser, Rémon R., 2011, The Acropora Humilis Group (Scleractinia) Of The Snellius Expedition (1929 - 30), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 59 (1), pp. 9-17 : 13

Acropora samoensis ( Brook, 1891)

( Fig. 2 g-h)

Madrepora samoensis – Brook, 1891 p. 468; 1893 p. 143 pl. 31 fig. A pl. 6 fig. C.

Acropora samoensis – Moll, 1983: 29; Veron & Wallace, 1985: 178; Veron, 1986: 139; Best et al., 1989: 109; Veron, 2000: 323.

Acropora (Acropora) samoensis – Wallace and Dai, 1997: 293; Wallace and Wolstenholme, 1998: 216; Wallace, 1999: 124–125.

Material examined. – Indonesia, Tanahjampea, N of Flores ( RMNH Coel.39622); Bonetambung near Makassar ( RMNH Coel.39615- 39618); Tusa Isl. near Obilatu, N of Obi Major ( RMNH Coel.39895); Kau Bay, Akeselaka ( RMNH Coel.39608–39613); Talaud Isl., Beo, Karakelong ( RMNH Coel.39614); Philippines, Sulu Isl., Sipangkot near Sibutu ( RMNH Coel.39619–39621).

Short description. – Colony caespitose-corymbose; branches terete or slightly tapering, 7–16 mm in diameter and up to 80 mm long. Axial corallite outer diameter 2.8–5.5 mm; radial corallites not touching, sometimes in rows, tubular with round to oblique openings.

Biogeography. – This species shows an Indo-West Pacific range. The Snellius expedition collected specimens at six sites from within the aforementioned range. Sipangkot ( Philippines) yields a new species record for A. samoensis , whereas Bonetambung (southwest Sulawesi) was previously also sampled by Moll (1983). Two specimens are provisionally identified as A. cf. samoensis ( RMNH Coel.39562-39563), since they show characteristics of both A. humilis and A. samoensis . If these specimens indeed prove to be A. samoensis , one more locality for this species can be noted (Reimis, Karakelong, Talaud Isl.). The species was already known from a large number of reefs in the south Banda Sea (Wallace & Wolstenholme, 1998).

Figures

Fig. 2a-h. A. humilis: a, complete coral (RMNH Coel.39585), b, branch (RMNH Coel.39591); A. gemmifera: c, complete coral (RMNH Coel.39581), d, branch (RMNH Coel.39578); A. monticulosa: e, complete coral, f, close-up (both RMNH Coel.39599); A. samoensis: g, complete coral (RMNH Coel.39612), h, close-up (RMNH Coel.39622). Scale bars 2 cm (a-c, e, g-h), 1.5 cm for d, f.