Rough Cactus Coral. Branching refers to any branching coral, such as Acropora species. Knobby Cactus Coral. Compact branching: where branches of a colony are close together. Mycetophyllia aliciae. Knowing and being able to identify different types of marine life, fish and coral makes scuba diving all the more exciting and enjoyable. The coral animal, along with its algae, grows on a skeleton of coral created from calcium in the sea water. Smooth cauliflower coral. Blade Fire Coral. Colour ranges from cream, pink or blue to greens. SPONGES & CORALS 3(d) Structure, Classification and Function of Corals. Pictures of two primary genera of the Acroporidae family that together makes up almost one-third of all reef-building corals. Spiny Flower Coral. See our Corals Information page to learn more about how to acquire many of the species of corals shown here. Boulder refers to any massive or rounded corals, such as … Corallite: the skeleton of an individual polyp When it comes to Coral Identification the sheer number of and different types of coral make it hard to come up with an extensive, all encompassing list. Branching Fire Coral. 03. Great Star Coral. Uniqueness: The Great Barrier Reef is not just the largest coral system in the world, it is the one thought to have the highest biodiversity.That is, more kinds plants and animals than any other ecosystem. Common in shallow reef areas, particularly those that are exposed to strong wave action, although it can occur to a depth of about 15m. Mycetophyllia danaan. ifish / Getty Images. Individual calices are generally only a few mm across, but have well-developed walls, so that they stick out slightly from the corullum (the rest of the coral skeleton) somewhat like holes on a flute. Box Fire Coral. Millepora squarrosa. Montastrea cavernosa. Photos and pictures of Acropora species Bottlebrush, Branching, Brier, Bushy, Cat's Paw, Cluster, Elkhorn, Staghorn, Table/Tabletop Acropora corals, and Montipora species named Plate, Velvet/Velvet Finger Coral, Encrusting and Whorled Montipora. Coral: for the specific purpose of Coral ID, the term coral is short for zooxanthellate scleractinian coral. Identify dominant coral groups and rank their bleaching tolerance based on morphology (massive>encrusting>branching/tabular). Millepora complanata. Stylophora pistillata. Conduct surveys of coral community composition at sites and assess dominance of coral types known to be more resistant or tolerant to bleaching. Continua: where there is no clear discontinuity in morphology, genotype or distribution. It is a hard, branching coral with blunt, slightly flattened ends. Branching corals: this type is most commonly associated with the most colorful small corals, and are made up of a tree-like structure with multiple branches and secondary branches. Mussa angulosa. Some of the more rare types of coral, such as blastomussa and montipora can usually be obtained when a box of corals is ordered, however, the quantity per order is limited. Millepora alcicornis. Striatopora is a type of branching tabulate coral. Low-Ridge Cactus Coral. A single coral species can grow in a wide variety of shapes and sizes depending on the environmental conditions (light, currents, sedimentation, etc). Size: Up to 30cm across. The Coral Health Chart uses four coral types to classify corals. & corals 3 ( d ) Structure, Classification and Function of corals to bleaching from,... And assess dominance of coral community composition at sites and assess dominance of coral community composition at sites and dominance. 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