Acropora digitifera (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 : 52

Acropora digitifera (Dana, 1846)

( Fig. 24 )

Madrepora digitifera Dana, 1846: 454 .

Madrepora pyramidalis Klunzinger, 1879: 12 , pl. l fig. 2, pl. 4 fig. 6, pl. 9 fig. 7.

Madrepora leptocyathus Brook, 1891: 463 ; 1893: 159, pl. 16 fig. C.

Madrepora baeodactyla Brook, 1892: 453 ; 1893: 158, pl. 13 figs A–B.

Madrepora brevicollis Brook, 1892: 454 ; 1893: 159, pl. 27 figs A–B.

Acropora wardii Verrill, 1902: 248 , pl. 36 fig. 3, pl. 36B fig. 4, pl. 36F fig. 4.

Acropora schmitti Wells, 1950: 39 , figs 1–2.

Type locality. Arno Atoll, Marshall Islands (neotype MTQ).

MTQ Holdings. NEOTYPE: G37980. Red Sea: G57780, G54886–87, G58562 Egypt; G55253 Saudi Arabia; G49316, G58867 Yemen; Kenya: G54932–34, G58939; Comoros: G55096; Mayotte: G63279–80, G63395; Persian Gulf: G63134 Kuwait; Seychelles: G47909, G59442, G59445, G59476, G59490, G59519; La R é union: G33209, G33225; Mauritius: G33206, G54463; Maldives: G52085, G59791–95, G59854, G59988, G60291, G60302, G60378, G61633; Chagos: G51798; Sri Lanka: G55580, G56334–35; Thailand: G32776, G32796, G49314–15, G55990–91, G55997, G56071–72, G56120, G56124, G59411; Singapore: G41025; Indonesia: G48629–30 Sumatra; G59717 Bali; G48619, G48635–37 Alor; G47544 Lombok; G49803–13 Riau; G47035, G50810 Ambon; G48631–32, G50393 Flores; G39805, G39813–16, G50096, G50394, G50547–50 Kalimantan; G47540–42, G50542–46, G51213, G51600–01, G56709–13, G56799–802 Sulawesi; G51602–03, G51607 Molucca Sea; G51604–06, G54539 Halmahera; G48638 Banda Sea; G48618, G48633–34 West Timor; Australia: G40454, G40458, G40856, G47004–5, G48717–20, G48799, G52490–543, G52673–76, G61670, G61676 West; G48120, G51273–74, G58986 North; G27002, G27099, G27476–77, G29502, G29876, G30023, G32219, G35017, G35019, G35382–83, G35768, G35771–73, G40902, G48311–12, G48326, G51114–19, G56373, G56819, G56821, G57599, G58240, G58356, G58369, G58387, G62284 Great Barrier Reef; G31155, G35769– 70, G57505–6, G57807, G58495, G60091–92, G60400, G64152–54 South–East; G27004, G27478, G27480, G32217, G33513 Coral Sea; Japan: G36845–46, G38045, G38064, G47752–55, G47968–69, G62313, G62318, G62331, G62334, G62840, G62859; Taiwan: G56706–08; Philippines: G32829, G52330–32; Palau: G55003, G60209–13; Guam: G40730, G63331; Papua New Guinea: G35915, G52796–804, G53553, G56714–18; Micronesia: G40699–701, G40707–0 8, G41163, G41170 Yap; G62414, G62461, G62636 Pohnpei; G62788–90 Kosrae; Solomon Is.: G56719–23; New Caledonia: G33089, G33102, G35604, G61018; Chesterfield Atoll: G32216, G38157–58, G38168, G51243; Vanuatu: G35601; Marshall Is.: G37547, G37550, G37977, G47225–26, G47234, G56153, G56166, G57193–207; Kiribati: G32871, G54795–96, G54977; Fiji: G34740; Samoa: G34726, G34767, G41194–97, G54266–67; Niue: G36086, G36110; Cook Is.: G36087, G53915 Tuamotu Archipelago: G32861.

Species group: humilis .

Description. Colony outline: determinate, predominantly corymbose. Branches: tertiary branching order absent; length: 2 5–50 mm; diameter: 10.0–19.9 mm, axial-dominated, terete; radial crowding: most touching; axial/radial ratio:>1:10. Axial corallites: three synapticular rings; not porous; outer diameter 2.2–3.8 mm; inner diameter 0.6–1.6 mm; primary septa to 2/3 R. Radial corallites: medium; three synapticular rings; one size or graded; inner wall developed; shape: tubular; openings: dimidiate; primary septa to 1/3 R. Coenosteum: different on and between radials: between radials: reticulate, on radials: reticulo-costate; spinule shape: elaborate. Further literature. Sheppard & Sheppard (1991), Nishihira & Veron (1995), Wallace & Wolstenholme (1998), Wallace (1999), Veron (2000), Pillay et al. (2002), Chan et al. (2004), Dai & Horng (2009), Wallace et al. (2009), Turak & DeVantier (2011).

Figures

FIG. 24. Acropora digitifera, Addu Atoll, Maldives, 2006 (photo: P. Muir). Map of documented distribution: blue squares = MTQ specimens; pink squares = literature records; orange diamonds = type localities (where given), including primary synonyms.