species: Ctenactis echinata in taxonomy (Gaia Guide)
Animalia > Radiata > Cnidaria > Anthozoa > Anthozoa > Hexacorallia > Scleractinia > Fungiidae > Ctenactis > Ctenactis echinata (gallery)
Ctenactis echinata


©Andy: A pair of Ctenactis echinata at Watsons Bay, Lizard Island

©Andy: Macro image of Ctenactis echinata showing the typical form of septal ridges

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Scleractinia
Family Fungiidae
Genus Ctenactis
Species Ctenactis echinata
Status least concern
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Colours

         

Distinguishing features

A fungid coral that forms an elongate skeleton up to 20cm long. Septal teeth are well developed. Multiple mouths are formed along the axial furrow. Colour is typically brown.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Reef fronts, lagoons.

Can be found in most habitats around Lizard Island.

Behaviour

C. echinata is a gonochoric broadcast spawner. In Japanese populations from Okinawa, the species was shown to be protandrous with the capability for bi-directional sex change. In Red Sea populations, it takes approximately 10-12 years to reach the maximum size of 200mm.

Web resources

References

  • Baird, A.H., J.R. Guest and B.L. Willis (2009). Systematic and biogeographical patterns in the reproductive biology of scleractinian corals, Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 40: 551-571.
  • Dornelas, M. (2006). Coral assemblages and neutral theory. PhD thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 1626.
  • Dornelas, M. and S.R. Connolly (2008). Multiple modes in a coral species abundance distribution, Ecology Letters, 11: 1008-1016. LIRS catalog number 1145.
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