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96
species was found by GRAVIER in the Gulf of Aden (French Somaliland) and described by VAUGHAN,
1907a, and GRAV IER, 1911. WEL LS, 1952 , has reported on three more specimens fro m Bikini Atoll.
Genus Porites LINK , 1807
Ty pes p e c i e s : Porites polymorphus LINK , 1807.
G e n e r ic c h a r act e r s : Colonial, encrusting, massive, columnar or ramose. Calices polygonal or
circular, 1 to 2 mm in diameter, 1 to 1.5 mm deep. Wall t hin with mural dentic1es. Septa in two cycles,
arranged as four lateral pairs, a dorsal directive and a ventral triplet. Pali , synapticulae and columella
present.
Synopsis of Porites from Red Sea:
A. Little or no coenenchyme between the corallites. Calices polygonal, wall thin.
1. CoraUum massive or columnar with or without undulations on the surface .
a) Septa of the ventral triplet remai n free at their ends.
1. Corallites 1.5 mm in length , polygonal; wall thin; septal dentation and pali poorly developed
. . . .... . . . .. .. .. . .. ... ......... . . . .. .. .... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. P. solida
b) Septa of the ventral triplet unite at the ends to fo rm a trident.
2. Calices more or less 1 mm in diameter; wall zig-zag or straight. Mural and septal denticles
well developed. Pali 8, of which 5 or 6 are larger. . . .. . ...... . .... . . .. . . ... P. lutea
3. Corallum always columnar, high. Calices 1.5 to 1.75 mm in length, polygonal. Septal
denticle only one or even absent. Pali 5 to 8. Wall straight. . .... . ...... . P. columnaris
11. Corallum encrusting, explanate, small .
4. Corallites and calices circular, more or less 1 mm in diameter. 1 to 5 calices may run together
without any intervening wall. Wall highly thickened with many frosted denticles giving a
rough appearance to the coral. Septa oft en bifurcate over the wall . . . .. .. . P. echinulata
5. Calices like deep punctures. Primary septa well developed , deep-seated, steeply descending.
Pali absent. Columella a prominent single style .. . . . ..... . ............. P. punctata
111. Corallum ramose.
6. Branches digitiform or only little compressed at the tOp. Corallites polygonal, 1.5 to
1.75 mm in length , very shallow. Ventral triplet forms a trident. Pali poorly developed .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. nodifera
7. Branches thick, compressed or flabellate. Corallites 1.25 to 1.5 mm in length, 1.5 mm deep.
Ventral triplet free. Five pali often prominent. . .. . .. .. . ...... . ..... . P. compressa
B. Surface coenen chyme between the coral lites rises to fo rm conical or lengthy ridges enclosing valleys
and small rounded calices.
I. Corallum ramose.
8. Branches digitiform, 1 to 1.5 em thick . Calices 0 .5 to 0.6 mm in diameter, very shallow.
Pali present. . . . ... ....... . .. . . . . .. . . . ... ... . ... .. . P. (Synaraea) iwayamaensis
11. Corallum massive.
9 . Surface with gibbosities. Details of calices mostly as in 8 . . . . . . . P. (Synaraea) undulata
A. Species without coenenchym between the corallites.
1. Massive species of Porites.
a) The ventral triplet does not fuse to form a trident.
Porites solida (FORSKAL), 177 5
(Plate 24, Figs. 3, 4)
Madrepo'I'Q
Porites
solida
solida
1775 . FORSKAL. 131 (Type locality : Red Sea).
1879. KLUNZINGER 2. 42 ; pis.. 5/2 1 i 6/ 14 (synonymy),
1892, ORTMANN, 655.
1906. v. MARENZELLER. 65.