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The first record of this genus from Red Sea is that of MARENZELLER (1906a) from the deep waters
in the northern part of Gulf of Aqaba (Stat. 95, 168 m, and 96,350 m). He descrIbed the collected matenal
under the new specific name interjecta.
In August 1981 Prof. H. FRICKE undertook his first deep-diving project with his submersible " Geo" .
in the Gulf of Aqaba near the spot where MARENZELLER had dredged . He fo und extensive reefs of I
Madracis interjecta, and has handed over three specimens (two of them consist ing of several fragments)
to the Darmstadt Museum.
Madracis interjecta v. MAR EN ZELLE R, 1906
(Plate 5, Figs. 1- 3)
Madracis intf!1jt!CllJ 1906a,v. MARENZELLER, 20; pI. 2/3 (Type locality: Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba).
Corallum tangled , coalescent , with tufted or dendroid excrescenses. Branches oft en long and thin;
main branches 6 to 7 mm in diameter, twigs only 2 to 3 mm.
Corallites circular or slightly oval, 2 mm in diameter, at stumpy parts of the corallum on verruciform
elevations . Distance between corallites on long branches 3 to 5 mm. Ten equal septa, strongly exsert,
dropping off vertically in the calyx to a solid plate, about 1 mm in diameter, with a central well developed
styliform and mostly compressed columella. Interseptal loculi are clearly visible. In so me calices very
small and inconspicuous septa of higher cycles are present. Pali not present.
Coenenchyme solid and more or less spinulose. At stouted parts of the corallum spines are numerous,
often forming a ring around a corallite or polygonal rows between crowded corallites.
Dried fragments of the corallum are reddish .
Fri 49-1 is dendroid, 18 em long, and broken in seven pieces. A great part of the corallum is dead ,
but young colonies, some only with one corallite, have settled on it.
Fri 49- 2 consists of eight long and thin branches. Three of them are about 8 em long with a diameter
of 5 to 7 mm. The others are shorter and thinner, diameter 2 to 4 mm.
Fri 49- 3 is a contorted mass of thin and mostly dead branches. Corallum about 6 em long.
M a t e ri a I : Gulf of Aqaba: HLM Fri 49-1, 49- 2, 49- 3 (Eilat , lighthouse, 135m deep).
D is t ri b u ti 0 n : Known only from Red Sea.
Family Acroporidae VERRILL, 1902
The three ge nera Acropora, Montipora and Astraeopora of this family are present in Red Sea; Anacropora,
the other living representative, hitherto being not recorded from this area. The above three
genera can be separated as follows:
A. Axial corallites present.
Corallum ramose, encrusting or palmate. Radial corallites projecting or immersed . Septa in two
cycles. Coenosteum porous . .. ..... .. ....... .. .... . . _ ..... .. ........... .. . Acropora
B. Axial corallites absent.
1. Corall um encrusting , massive, ramose or foliaceous. Corallites small, ge nera lly wall not projecting.
Septa in two cycles. Surface coenenchym glabrous, faveolate , papillate or tuberculate. Coenosteum
porous . . . . . . . ................................. . ................ . .. . . Montipora
2. Corallum encrusting or massive. Corallite walls projecting or level. Thecal wall solid. Septa conspicuous.
Surface spiny . ... . _ . . ... . . . . . . .... . . . .. ... . . .... . .... .. . . . _ .. Astraeopora
Genus Astraeopora de BLAINVILLE, 1830
Type s p ecies: Astrea myriopbtbalma LAMARCK , 1816.
G e n e ric c h a r ac t e r s : Colonial, encrust ing, explanate, pulvinate or massive. Corallite walls
level to projecting. Septa in 2 to 3 cycles. Columella poorly developed . Surface spiny.