species: Platygyra daedalea in taxonomy (Gaia Guide)
Animalia > Radiata > Cnidaria > Anthozoa > Anthozoa > Hexacorallia > Scleractinia > Faviina > Faviidae > Platygyra > Platygyra daedalea (gallery)
Platygyra daedalea


©Andy: A colony of Platygyra daedalea at Lizard Island

©Andy: Macro image of Platygyra daedalea showing the typical form of the corallites

©Andy: A colony of Platygyra daedalea at Big Viki's Reef, Lizard Island

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Scleractinia
Family Faviidae
Genus Platygyra
Species Platygyra daedalea
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Distinguishing features

A species that forms massive colonies up to 2m diameter. Corallite valleys are meandroid and sinuous. Septa are unevenly sized and appear ragged. Colours are brown walls with whitish or green valleys.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution: Platygyra daedalea

Distribution and habitat preferences

Reef fronts, shallow reef flats.

Behaviour

It is a hermaphroditic broadcast spawner. This species is slow growing like most massive Favid corals, with growth rates typically less than 0.5cm/year. It posesses sweeper tentacles which can sting nearby colonies and inhibit competition for space. There are several morphological growth types in this species, and genetic analysis indicates a substantial degree of hybridisation between the morphs and between other closely related species of Platygyra.

Web resources

References

  • Baird, A.H., R.C. Babcock and C.P. Mundy (2003). Habitat selection by larvae influences the depth distribution of six common coral species. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 252: 289-293.
  • 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.
  • Baird, A.H. and P.A. Marshall (2000). Bleaching of corals on the Great Barrier Reef: differential susceptibilities among taxa, Coral Reefs, 19: 155-163.
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