Acropora carduus (Dana, 1846)

Wallace, Carden C., Done, Barbara J. & Muir, Paul R., 2012, Revision and catalogue of worldwide staghorn corals Acropora and Isopora (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) in the Museum of Tropical Queensland, Memoirs of the Queensland Museu Nature 57, pp. 1-258 : 32

Acropora carduus (Dana, 1846)

( Fig. 14 )

Madrepora carduus Dana, 1846: 464 , pl. 36 fig. 2.

Madrepora prolixa Verrill, 1866: 22 .

Type locality. Fiji (lectotype NMNH-SI).

MTQ Holdings. Thailand: G32780, G55929–30, G56005–06 Indonesia: G50965–66 Nusa Tenggara; G47712 Lombok; G35977, G35981 Maluku; G50964 Taka’bonerate; G50347 Flores; G50491, G59056, G59062, G59064 Kalimantan; G50348 Semau; G47711, G48266, G50346, G50349–50, G50492, G51629 Sulawesi; G51630–37, G63158 Halmahera; G47710 Banda Sea; Australia: G27036–37, G27775–85, G28847– 67, G29075–76, G29078–82, G56929, G57025–26, G57522 Great Barrier Reef; G29077 Coral Sea; Palau: G56870– 71, G56873, G56906, G56910, G60442, G60443; Papua New Guinea: G51743, G53262–68, G61734–36; Solomon Is.: G35598, G35608; Fiji: G34804, G34806–08; Samoa: G43461.

Species group: echinata .

Description. Colony outline: indeterminate, predominantly hispidose. Branches: tertiary branching order present; length: 25–50 mm; diameter: 2.5–4.9 mm, 50/50 axial/radial, terete; radial crowding: not touching; axial/ radial ratio: <1:10. Axial corallites: two synapticular rings; not porous; outer diameter 1.0–2.0 mm; inner diameter 0.5–0.9 mm; primary septa to ¼ R. Radial corallites: medium; two synapticular rings; one size or graded; inner wall developed; shape: appressed tubular; openings: oval-rounded; primary septa to ½ R. Coenosteum: same on and between radials: costate; spinule shape: elaborate.

Further literature. Nishihira & Veron (1995), Wallace & Wolstenholme (1998), Wallace (1999), Veron (2000), Turak & DeVantier (2011)

Figures

FIG. 14. Acropora carduus, Ribbon Reefs, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, 2007 (photo: P. Muir). Map of documented distribution: blue squares = MTQ specimens; pink squares = literature records; orange diamonds = type localities (where given), including primary synonyms.