Leaf Coral

zooxanthellate

An encrusting species, or sometimes thick encrusting colonies with leafy edges, this forms small colonies rarely larger than 25 cm across. Calices are cerioid, though the surface of the colonies are ridged with collines, giving a low, convoluted appearance. Calices are small, being 0.8 to 1.3 mm diameter. The coral is always a greenish brown colour. It is a very common coral, though its small colony size and encrusting form conceals its abundance. However, it is likely to be recorded in every survey undertaken. It is found between the surface, in crevices in the reef crest, to at least 45 m deep, and is equally common on clear water reef slopes and turbid, back reef habitats. It appears to be a rapidly colonising species which, together with its small colony size, allows it to occupy rapidly parts of dead corals. Thus it is the species most likely to be found colonising the dead basal parts of large colonies of Goniopora and Porites species which dominate in back reef areas (Sheppard, 1998). Colonies are submassive, laminar or encrusting or various combinations of these. Corallites are in short irregular valleys, or are aligned between ridges perpendicular to margins, or are irregularly distributed on flat surfaces. Septa are in two alternating orders. Colour: yellow, green and brown. Abundance: occurs in a very wide range of habitats and may be common in some lagoons and sheltered upper reef slopes (Veron, 1986). Forms encrusting, plate-like colonies. Corallites aligned in short rows or patches separated by ridges, giving the surface a crumpled appearance. Colour: usually green or brown. Habitat: diverse, including lagoons (Richmond, 1997)