Acropora cf. willisae Veron & Wallace, 1984

Sola, Erwan, Silva, Isabel Marques da & Glassom, David, 2015, An annotated and illustrated checklist of species of the coral genus Acropora (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) from Vamizi Island, Mozambique, African Invertebrates 56 (3), pp. 807-807 : 841-842

Acropora cf. willisae Veron & Wallace, 1984

Fig. 33

Colony growth form: Corymbose plates; branches are thin and anastomose frequently. Axial corallites: Outer diameter 2.5 mm; inner diameter 0.9 mm; slightly exsert, tubular with rounded opening; septation consists of one cycle of moderately dentate septa; long incipient axials are abundant distally on branch.

Radial corallites: Tubular-appressed with nariform opening; septation is reduced, but two directive septa usually prominent; second cycle absent or just visible as points.

Coenosteum: On radial corallites lines of spinules, simple or with clubbed tips; reticulate, coarse spongy in intercorallite area.

Remarks: This species is closely related to those of the A. loripes, but corolla are more corymbose with more slender branches ending on a single plane (see original description in Veron & Wallace 1984). Our specimens of A. willisae are distinguished from those of A. loripes by more appressed radials with more nariform opening and less elaborate spinules. The distinction from A. granulosa is based on the denser corallum and shorter, more spaced, radials of the latter.

Figures

Fig. 33. Acropora cf. willisae. Specimen number: VAM69. (A) live colony; (B) branch fragment; (C) axial corallites; (D) radial corallite; (E) coenosteum between corallites.