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88
Madrepora
Podabacia
Podabacia crustacea (PALLAS), 1766
(Plat~ 21 , Figs. 2, 3)
crustacea 1766. PALLAS, 291.
crustacea 1860. M.Il..l'lE EDWARDS (& HAIi\lE). 20.
1905, GARDINER, 942: pI. 9018.
1936, YA8E. SUG IYAMA & EGUCHI. 64: pI. 41/1- 6 .
1952. CROSSLAND. 156; pi, 1211; 1l13.
1964. SCHEER. 618: (;g. 8.
1971 . LOYA & SL080DKIN. 123.
1980. VERON & PICHON. 197; figs. 324- 327.
1980. HEAD. ISO , 453 .
The occurrence of this genus and species in Red Sea was first reported by SCHEER (1964), who has
already described and figured his material RM 102 . It is part of a corallum 17 mm thick at the broken
edge. The older part of the corallum imperforate, but at the periphery it is perforated.
NS 4919 is an entire cup-shaped corallum with a greater diameter of 12.5 em. The cup has a depth
of 6.5 cm. The attachment was somehow lost at the time of collection, but a narrow base is present.
CoraUum porous. The growing edges are 3 to 3.5 mm thick. The central mother calyx is 7 mm in diameter.
Secondary calices 5 to 7 mm apart with 12 to 18 septa. Septa alternating in height and thickness, edges
dentate, sides granular. Costae extend from the periphery to the base, but they are faint at the central
part of the corallum where their course is marked by granules.
Material:
Gulf of Aqaba: Jerus. SLR 649,670 (Ma rsa Abu Zabad).
T. Aviv NS 4912,4917 , 4919 (Dahab); 1841a, 1935 , 1936 (S hurat eI Manqata).
Basel PW 71303 (60 m) , 71358 (Eilat); 73691 (EI Kura).
Northern R. S.: 1'. Aviv NS 1870 (Ras Muhammad).
Central R. S.: P. Sud. Sa 85 (Sanganeb R.).
HLM RM 102 (Wingate R.).
D i st rib ut i 0 n: Red Sea; Reunio n (FAU RE, 1977);Maldives; Ceylon; Singapore; Philippines;)apan;
Great Barrier Reef; Marshall Isis.; Samoa ; Tuamotu Archipelago.
Superfamily Poriticae GRAY, 1842
Family Poritidae GRAY, 1842
The family Poritidae is represented in the Red Sea by three genera viz. Porites, Goniopora and Alveopora.
Among these the genus Porites is the mOSt ab undant and often a major reef builder as is the case
elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific.
Key to the genera of the family Poritidae discussed herein :
A. Septa spiny, 1 to 3 cycles, generally not joined to a columella. Corallum highly porous, very light. .. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alveopora
B. Septa and columella well developed. Corallum moderately porous.
I . Septa fundamentally in three cycles. Calices more than 2 mm in diamater. .. . .... . . Goniopora
2. Septa fundamentally in two cycles. Corallites generally less than 2 mm in diameter. ..... Porites
Genus Alveopora de BLAINVILLE, 1830
T Y pes p e c i e s : Madrepora daedalea FORSKAL, 177 5.
G e n e ric c h a r act e r s: Explanate, columnar, sub massive or ramose. Septa composed of thin
spines, 2 to 3 cycles. Columella ill-formed . Wall highly porous.
The genus Alveopora urgently needs a revision. We have found in literature 19 species reported from
Indo-Pacific, mostly single specimens, or known only from one locality. The usual distinction of the