Acropora aculeus (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 : 10

Acropora aculeus (Dana, 1846)

( Fig. 3 )

Madrepora aculeus Dana, 1846: 450 , pl. 32 fig. 6.

Type locality. Fiji (holotype NMNH-SI).

MTQ Holdings. Kenya: G35554, G35559–60; Mayotte: G63275, G63278, G63367–75, G63434–35; Seychelles: G49223, G59468; Mauritius: G59349–50; Maldives: G52083, G52106, G52999–3001, G59904–16, G60283, G60363; Chagos: G51407–12, G51445–46, G54320; Sri Lanka: G55584–85, G56337–38; Bangladesh: G50564; Thailand: G55926, G56125, G56445; Malaysia: G57670, G57753 mainland and islands; G40027–28, G40193, G41133, G41142–43, G53889 Sabah; Singapore: G41028, G41036; Indonesia: G49922 Sumatra; G49929, G49952–53, G50624, G59033 Bali; G49927–28, G49944, G50622, G53853–55 Alor; G48191– 93, G49921 Lombok; G35969 Maluku; G54434 Tukangbesi Islands; G43824–26 Taka’bonerate; G51203 Seribu Is; G49923–25, G49942–43, G50621, G50927 Flores; G49936, G49939–41, G49947–51, G50012 Kalimantan; G53856 Semau; G47697, G47700, G48184– 90, G49920, G49930–35, G49937–38, G49945–46, G49954, G50087, G50623, G50790, G50928, G54140–42, G55427–28 Sulawesi; G54143, G54147 Molucca Sea; G52398, G54144–46 Halmahera; G46899–901, G48179–83, G58893 Banda Sea; G49926 West Timor; G60758 Irian Jaya; Australia: G48703–04, G55056–58, G64398 West; G27040, G27061, G27073, G30148–54, G30156–59, G30161–75, G30178–81, G30183–88, G30191–93, G30955–57, G30959–69, G31909, G32401, G33158–59, G33162–63, G35774–86, G39791, G47295, G47383, G57542, G58015, G58079, G58100, G58110, G58170, G58368, G58605–08, G60550, G60572 Great Barrier Reef; G31910 South-East; G30177, G30182, G30189– 90, G33160, G39833, G63808, G64778 Coral Sea; South China Sea: G52168–69, G52252–53; Japan: G36920, G38014, G47811; Taiwan: G45895, G45914, G45927, G47587–89; Philippines: G45869–70, G58637–38; Palau: G56911, G60440; Guam: G53632; Papua New Guinea: G35665, G35985, G39735, G52932–39, G53415, G54557–63, G57090–92; Louisiade Archipelago: G33354, G33361, G33364; Micronesia: G40750, G40826– 28, G59251, G59282, G62481–84, G62667 Pohnpei; Solomon Is.: G52577; New Caledonia: G33090, G33092, G34988, G34992–94, G59360; Chesterfield Atoll: G30958, G38273–74, G58917; Marshall Is.: G33128, G33202, G56184–86, G56207–0 8, G56235, G57257–61; Fiji: G40945; Samoa: G34752, G34870, G43473, G56033; Tahiti: G33081; Pitcairn Is.: G35756.

Species group: latistella.

Description. Colony outline: determinate, predominantly corymbose. Branches: tertiary branching order absent; length: 5 0–100 mm; diameter: 2.5–4.9 mm, radial-dominated, terete; radial crowding: not touching; axial/radial ratio:>1:10. Axial corallites: two synapticular rings; not porous; outer diameter 1.6–2.4 mm; inner diameter 0.8–1.0 mm; primary septa to 2/3 R. Radial corallites: small; two synapticular rings; one size or graded; inner wall not developed; shape: appressed tubular; openings: oval-rounded; primary septa to 1/3 R. Coenosteum: same on and between radials: reticulo-costate; spinule shape: single point.

Further literature. Nishihira & Veron (1995), Wallace & Wolstenholme (1998), Wallace (1999), Veron (2000), Pillay et al. (2002), Dai & Horng (2009), Turak & DeVantier (2011).

Figures

FIG. 3. Acropora aculeus, G62484, Pohnpei, Micronesia, 2009 (photo: P. Muir). Map of documented distribution: blue squares = MTQ specimens; pink squares = literature records; orange diamonds = type localities (where given), including primary synonyms.