Corals of Hawai’i:

Order ScleractiniaStony corals

Family Acroporidae - Rice Corals

Montipora flabellata- blue rice coral Growth form: small, encrusting with irregular lobes; blue to

turquoise color.Fine structure: papillae smaller, sometimes fused to form

ridges; calices with elevated collars. Habitat: shallow water in exposed and protected areas.

Montipora patula - ringed rice coral Growth form: small, encrusting; chocolate-brown with light

borders. Fine structure: papillae small, forming rings around calyx. Habitat: reef flats.

Montipora capitata (Formerly M. verrucosa) - rice coral Growth form: highly variable, encrusting and plate-like (shallow

water) or branching (deep); dark-chocolate with white borders to beige or white.

Fine structure: tuberculae large, uniformly distributed, absent from underside of free margins.

Habitat: common in all reef environments, 0-50 m.

Family Agariciidae – False Brain Corals

Pavona duerdeni Growth form: encrusting round, or with

rounded disks or lobes; light gray or pale brown.

Fine structure: calices regular and symmetrically arranged.

Habitat: wave-exposed environments.

Pavona varians - false brain coral Growth form: encrusting globular

masses; tan or tan-brown. Fine structure: elongate, angular steep-

sided ridges with calices in valleys; septa line sides of ridges.

Habitat: reef flat and slope.

Family Dendrophyllidae – Cup Corals

Tubastraea coccinea - tube coral Growth form: large (> 1 cm)

separate calices on tubular extensions; clump of 10-20 large calices 5-10 cm across; animal orange or black

Fine structure: calyx wall very thin, porous and composed of glandular ridges; primary and secondary septa distinct; upper edge of septa depressed below.

Habitat: on cliffs and in caves in shallow water.

Family Faviidae- Brain Corals

Cyphastrea ocellina Growth form: small encrustation's or mushroom-shaped

clumps; light reddish brown.Fine structure: calices small (1-5 mm), crowded, elevated

above surface, randomly oriented in clumps; calyx wall thick and jagged.

Habitat: reef flats and tide pools

Leptastrea bottae Growth form: small, globular encrustation's; olive-green to

yellow-brown.Fine structure: calices large (3.5 mm) and well separated

with individual walls; elevated primary septa. Habitat: reef flats exposed to sand scour.

Leptastrea purpurea Growth form: large, thin encrusting sheets or rounded

lobes; pale brown, green, or purple. Fine structure: calices large (2-6 mm), funnel-shaped, and

share common walls; elevated primary septa form a ridge around the calyx.

Habitat: reef flats and slope to 50 m.

Family Fungiidae - Razor Corals

Fungia scutaria - mushroom coral Growth form: solitary coral on large

(4-28 cm), free, elliptical plates; green to dark brown.

Fine structure: septa of uniform dimensions radiating out from central depression; septa thin and serrated.

Habitat: reef flats, frequently in crevices or depressions.

Family Pocilloporidae

Pocillopora General description: branching colonies; calices crowded together

on wart-like projections (verrucae) and connected by a network of common walls, ridges, seams, or grooves.

Pocillopora damicornis - lace coral Growth form: finely branched with many divisions; branches not

thicker than a pencil; colonies small, up to 15 cm; bushy-shaped; light to dark brown.

Fine structure: septa and columella poorly developed; walls of terminal calices flare outward.

Habitat: protected areas in shallow water.

Pocillopora eydouxi - elkhorn coral Growth form: large (up to 80 cm) with thick, cylindrical, vertical

branches that lack divisions; brown. Fine structure: calices have distinct septa and columella. Habitat: wave-exposed areas, generally deeper than 10 m.

Pocillopora meandrina - cauliflower coral Growth form: heavy, leaf-like branches often forked near the end;

brown to pink. Fine structure: septa and columella poorly developed; calyx

irregularly shaped. Habitat: wave-exposed areas, generally shallower than 10 m.

Family PoritidaePorites General description: calices 5-sided polygons; well

developed septa and columella give "snowflake" appearance.

Porites compressa - finger coral Growth form: finger-like branching with porous

skeleton; tips of branches usually blunt or flattened; light-brown to yellow.

Fine structure: calices flush with surface; upper septa surface looks like elevated rods.

Habitat: wave-protected areas, 0-50 m.

Porites evermanni Growth form: resembles P. lobata by forming low, flat-

topped or cube-like lobes with rounded edges; gray, brown, or purple.

Fine structure: septa made up of thin plates that form a continuous porous surface; calyx walls form a ring.

Habitat: wave-exposed reef flats.

Family Poritidae cont.

Porites lobata - lobe coral Growth form: olive-green, brown, or blue-gray.

Branches form large lobes, never thin or finger-like; colonies may be huge, covering several meters or more.

Fine structure: calyx sides are membrane-like and elevated into sharp walls.

Habitat: wave-exposed areas, 0-50 m.

Porites rus Growth form: cylindrical lobes, irregular, or flat

plates; blackish-brown with white, yellow, or gray tips.

Fine structure: small, round, shallow calices well separated on the surface.

Habitat: all reef environments, 0-50 m.

Family Thamastreidae

Psammocora stellata Growth form: pale brown to pale

green. small, branched, rounded clumps; branches have unequal length, often subdivided at the tip into two projections.

Fine structure: calices are indistinct; septa are well developed and protrude into the center of the calyx, leaving a tiny hole; septa of calices are continuous and form a star-like pattern; septa are rough and granulated, giving a star-like appearance.

Habitat: reef flats.

Mesophotic Corals:

Leptoseris hawaiiensis

Leptoseris incrustans

Leptoseris mycetoseroides

Leptoseris papyracea???

Leptoseris scabra

Leptoseris tubulifera

Montipora capitata

Pocillopora damicornis

Porites Lobata