Acropora aspera (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 : 20

Acropora aspera (Dana, 1846)

( Fig. 8 )

Madrepora aspera Dana, 1846: 468 , pl. 38 figs 1, 1a–b. Madrepora hebes Dana, 1846: 468 pl. 35 fig. 5.

Madrepora cribripora Dana, 1846: 470 pl. 31 figs 1, 1a–c.

Madrepora manni Quelch, 1886: 150 , pl. 85 figs 6–7.

Acropora yaeyamaensis Eguchi & Shirai, 1977: 489 .

Type locality. Fiji (holotype NMNH-SI).

MTQ Holdings. Persian Gulf: G58685 Bahrain; Oman: G40950; Maldives: G59833–35; Thailand: G32777, G35950, G35952, G55956–59, G55986, G55987; Malaysia: G57674, G57675; Singapore: G41021 Indonesia: G32834 Java; G50223 Bali; G47490 Lombok; G49814 Riau; G36178, G36212–13, G36216 Ambon; G48560, G50392 Flores; G35582, G39793–94, G39804, G39806, G39808, G49282, G50088 Kalimantan; G47242– 43, G47538, G49278–81, G49343–44, G56511 Sulawesi; G51748, G51774 Molucca Sea; G51775–77 Halmahera; G46845 Banda Sea; G60728–29, G60732 Irian Jaya; Australia: G40793, G60642, G61665, G61673 West; G39776, G54737 North; G28350–58, G28360–61, G28363– 64, G28366, G28368–71, G29422–23, G29426–28, G29431– 32, G29434, G29436–38, G29440, G29443, G30422–26, G30430, G30432–34, G35057, G35377–78, G46037–38, G46705–10, G47641, G48367, G49233, G52059, G58171– 73, G58259, G58264, G58277, G59021, G62276–77, G63922–23 Great Barrier Reef; G28359, G28365, G33190, G64155–56 South-East; G33507 Coral Sea; South China Sea: G52308; Japan: G36837–38, G36912, G36916, G36919, G38022, G48383; Palau: G56853; Guam: G36595, G40732; Papua New Guinea: G53177–81; Micronesia: G40758 Yap; G40809–10, G40812 Pohnpei; G62741–43 Kosrae; Solomon Is.: G52578; New Caledonia: G33099, G58712; Chesterfield Atoll: G28367, G28372, G30428, G38170; Marshall Is.: G33137, G47232, G56156; Samoa: G34733, G38977, G41198–99, G41287, G43464, G54270, G56024.

Species group: aspera .

Description. Colony outline: indeterminate, predominantly arborescent. Branches: tertiary branching order absent; length:>100 mm; diameter: 10.0–19.9 mm, axial-dominated, terete; radial crowding: most touching; axial/radial ratio:>1:10. Axial corallites: three synapticular rings; porous; outer diameter 3.4–4.5 mm; inner diameter 1.0–1.8 mm; primary septa to 2/3 R. Radial corallites: medium; two synapticular rings; two sizes; inner wall not developed; shape: dimidiate/lipped; openings: horizontal lip; primary septa to 1/3 R. Coenosteum: different on and between radials: between radials: reticulate, on radials: costate; spinule shape: laterally flattened.

Further literature. Nishihira & Veron (1995), Wallace & Wolstenholme (1998), Wallace (1999), Veron (2000), Nomura & Mezaki (2005).

Figures

FIG. 8. Acropora aspera, G59833 Vabbinfaru I., N. Male 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.