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37
Acropora
Madrepom
Acropora
Madreportl
nobUis 1925, HOFFMEISTER, 59; pI. 1111.2.
1932. THIEL, 126 ; pI. 20/ 2.
1974. PILLAI & SCHEER. 453 ; fig. 3e.
canalis 1886. QUELCH, ISO: pI. 9/ 2. 2a. b.
eminens 1906 . .... MARENZELLER. 56; pis. 24178 ; 1a17Sa.
/u:onica 1902. VER RI LL. 231, pis. 36c/ 4 ; 36f19.
robusta? 184-6, DANA. 475; pI. 39/ 3.
secunda 1893, BROOK , 30.
According to MARENZELLER (1906) A. eminens is the only true arborescent Acropora occurring in
Red Sea. A thick-branches clump before us is placed under this species. The branches are 2 to 2.5 em
thick, apices little tapering. Axial corallites 3 to 4 mm in diameter at the top, 1 to 1.5 mm exsert. Septa 12.
Radials labellate, inner wall not developed, outer spreading, thick-walled; 2 to 2.5 mm broad, 2 to 4 mm
long, openings directed at different directions. Between the larger radials a few smaller labellate subimmersed
corallites are seen.
Material :
Central R. S.: P. Sud . Sa 26 (Sanganeb R .).
Southern R . S. : HLM EC 350 (Massawa).
Dis t rib uti 0 n : Red Sea; Ceylon ; Southeast coast of India; Andamans; Malacca ; Singapore (type
locality o f A. secunda); Philippines (type loca lity of A. canalis) ; Great Barrier Reef; Solomon Isis.; Samoa.
Rem ark s : An examination of several specimens of this species, collected from Gulf of Mannar by
PILLAI, has shown that A. secunda (BROOK ) and A. 1lobilis (DANA) are one and the same. A. canalis and
A. luzonica, both originally described from Philippines, also fall within the skeletal range of A. nobilis.
It is very interesting to note that NEMENZO's very extensive treatise of Acropora (1967) does not include
either of these, though he mentions A. 1lobilis. FAUSTINO (1927) felt that A. canalis resembles A. 1lobilis.
One of the present specimens is from Massawa, the same locality from where MARENZELLER ( 1906)
described his A. emine1ls. Examination of large suite of specimens of A. nobilis has led to the conclusion
that A. eminens is the same as A. nobilis, any difference between the types being purely accountable on
geographic variations. There are not many valid criteria with which these two could be separated.
In the light of the recent work of WALLACE (I978) a few additional comments become necessary.
She merged Madrepora nobilis DANA with M. formosa . We disagree with this view. DANA'S type of
M. nobilis in USNM is certainly different from his M. formosa. The nature of the axials and radials of
these two are conspicuously different and they are easily separable. If we merge such widely separate
forms as one and the same, all the species in Acropora as accepted at present become superfluous and
invalid . WALLACE also refers A. luzonica to A. aspera. We do agree that A. aspera, A. bebes and A. manni
belong to a single species, but A. luz07lica is probably more related to A. nobilis.
Madrepo ra
Acropora
Acropora baime; (MILNE EDWARDS and HAIME), 1860
baime;
ba;",ei
(Plate 6, Figs. 2, 3)
1860, MILNE EDWARDS (& HAIME). IS I (Type local ity : Red Sca).
1879. KLUNZINGER 2, 21 ; pis. 1/9; 5/4: 9/ 16.
1893 , BROOK. 77 (synonymy).
1906, v. ~iARENZELLER , 51 ; pI. 16/45 - 48.
1918. VAUGHAN, 163, pis. 66/4, 5 j 7013 , 3a , h.
1952, CROSSLAND, 207 j pls. H / 1; lSl 1.
1954 . ROSSI . 48.
1967, NEMENZO, 82; pI. 25/ 1.
1978, WALLACE , 293; pis. 70; 71.
1980, HEAD. 148 . 444.
The present specimens are either cespitose or tufted arborescent. It is unnecessary to go into the
details of these specimens. They agree to earlier descriptions of KLUNZINGER and MARENZELLER.
EC 53 is one of KLUNZ INGER's duplicates from Koseir. It is semiarborescenr, attached to the dead
branch of another Acropora. T he nariform radials are 1.5 to 2 mm long; the axials are up to 3 mm in
diameter. Apices of branches tapering.