Acropora africana (Brook, 1893) status revised

Madrepora assicana Brook 1893: 83; plate 35* fig. B.

Acropora assicana (Brook); Crossland 1948. Here removed from synonymy with Acropora tenuis (Dana* 1846) contra Veron and Wallace 1984; 279.

Specimens examined: NHM: 40.9.30.9 * Madrepora assicana holotype * South Africa

Remarks: See remarks under Acropora tenuis (above). Brook notes that the collection location of the holotype specimen was recorded as the Cape of Good Hope* but that he believed the specimen came from the south-east coast. Therefore* the specimen is most likely to be from subtropical east Africa. The species is reported from Mozambique and Sri Lanka based on literature records provided by Sheppard (1987)* and the type locality for the species was incorrectly recorded as Sri Lanka by Veron and Wallace (1984)* but further research is needed to establish its distribution.