Acropora acuminata (Verrill, 1864)

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 : 12

Acropora acuminata (Verrill, 1864)

( Fig. 4 )

Madrepora acuminata Verrill, 1864: 40 .

Madrepora diffusa Verrill, 1864: 41.

Madrepora nigra Brook, 1892: 459 ; 1893: 45, pl. 27 fig. C.

Acropora pectinatus Veron, 2000, vol. 1: 264 ; 2002: 44, figs 77–81.

Type locality. Kingsmill Islands (Kiribati) (holotype YPM).

MTQ Holdings. G55801 Flores, Indonesia holotype of A. pectinatus; Red Sea: G57777 Egypt; G54713, G54769–70 Saudi Arabia;G54728, G54740 Yemen; Socotra: G57407, G57409; Mayotte: G63270–71, G63344, G63388, G63419, G63433; Aldabra: G41072; Mauritius: G39785, G54457–60, G54895 Maldives: G51996–97, G53002–03, G59828–32, G60305, G60309; Chagos: G51371–76, G51395–405; Thailand: G52634, G55909–10, G55988–89, G56076, G56122–23, G56076, G59318, G59328, G63001; Malaysia: G54992, G57656 mainland and islands; G41131, G53880, G53924 Sabah; Indonesia: G32848 Java; G49003, G49309, G49377, G49381, G59720 Bali; G50975 Nusa Tenggara; G49303–04, G49375–76 Alor; G53758 Tukangbesi Islands; G50919 Taka’bonerate; G47129 Ambon; G48480, G49310, G49374, G49727, G50918, G51072, G53746, G53759–60 Flores; G49001, G49277, G49305–07, G49379–80, G53697–98 Kalimantan; G35812, G47881–90, G49308, G49372–73, G49378, G49533, G53692–93, G53695–96, G53699, G53747–50, G53757, G55436, G59096 Sulawesi; G53756 Molucca Sea; G52396–97, G53751–55, G54301, G63137, G63154 Halmahera; G47023–25, G47130, G53691, G58949 Banda Sea; G53694, G61251–52 Irian Jaya; Australia: G47193–94, G48775–76, G52664, G61084, G61663, G61683 West; G28625–34, G28644– 49, G28651, G28654, G28656–71, G28673–77, G28679–80, G51184, G58017, G58053, G58111, G60532, G62909, G63897–99 Great Barrier Reef; G28638, G33189, G33193 South-East; G39846, G60545, G60557, G60569, G63794–99 Coral Sea; South China Sea: G37561, G46820, G52254, G52283; Japan: G38032, G38036, G47966–67; Taiwan: G43849, G45842, G45947, G47582, G47590, G47601, G59735; Philippines: G41574, G52379; Palau: G56916, G60433; Papua New Guinea: G35828, G53565; Micronesia: G36611 Chuuk; G62491, G62505, G62549 Pohnpei; G62745 Kosrae; Solomon Is.: G52579, G58569, G58578, G58586; New Caledonia: G34970, G41110, G58727, G58737, G61017, G61209–13; Chesterfield Atoll: G28636–37, G28641–42, G28650, G28652, G28655, G28672, G28678, G38150, G38241, G60233; Marshall Is.: G33122, G33134, G33148, G37554, G56179–83, G57294–96, G57325; Kiribati: G55015–20, G58800; Fiji: G34751; Samoa: G34732, G36627, G41290, G56028; French Polynesia: G58658; Pitcairn Is.: G35740, G35758.

Species group: muricata.

Description. Colony outline: determinate, predominantly arborescent-table. Branches: tertiary branching order absent; length:>100 mm; diameter: 5.0–9.9 mm, axial-dominated, tapering; radial crowding: not touching; axial/radial ratio:>1:10. Axial corallites: two synapticular rings; porous; outer diameter 1.6–2.9 mm; inner diameter 0.6–1.2 mm; primary septa to ¾ R. Radial corallites: medium; two synapticular rings; two sizes; inner wall developed; shape: tubular; openings: oval-rounded; primary septa to ½ R. Coenosteum: different on and between radials: between radials: reticulate, on radials: costate; spinule shape: single point.

Taxonomic note. Acropora pectinatus is placed in synonymy with A. acuminata based on comparison of the holotype with A. acuminata specimens: G49306 from East Kalimantan, Indonesia; G53696 from Togian Islands, Indonesia and G53757 from N. Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Further literature. Nishihira & Veron (1995), Wallace & Wolstenholme (1998), Wallace (1999), Pillay et al. (2002), Dai & Horng (2009), Turak & DeVantier (2011).

Figures

FIG. 4. Acropora acuminata, G63796, Holmes Reef, Coral Sea, 2010 (photo: P. Muir). Map of documented distribution: blue squares = MTQ specimens; pink squares = literature records; orange diamonds = type localities (where given), including primary synonyms.