Branching corals: this type is most commonly associated with the most colorful small corals, and are made up of a tree-like structure with multiple branches and secondary branches. Corallite: the skeleton of an individual polyp Rough Cactus Coral. Common in shallow reef areas, particularly those that are exposed to strong wave action, although it can occur to a depth of about 15m. It is a hard, branching coral with blunt, slightly flattened ends. Boulder refers to any massive or rounded corals, such as … Millepora squarrosa. A single coral species can grow in a wide variety of shapes and sizes depending on the environmental conditions (light, currents, sedimentation, etc). Smooth cauliflower coral. Spiny Flower Coral. Low-Ridge Cactus Coral. Mussa angulosa. Compact branching: where branches of a colony are close together. Mycetophyllia danaan. SPONGES & CORALS 3(d) Structure, Classification and Function of Corals. See our Corals Information page to learn more about how to acquire many of the species of corals shown here. Millepora alcicornis. Great Star Coral. Continua: where there is no clear discontinuity in morphology, genotype or distribution. Mycetophyllia aliciae. The Coral Health Chart uses four coral types to classify corals. Individual calices are generally only a few mm across, but have well-developed walls, so that they stick out slightly from the corullum (the rest of the coral skeleton) somewhat like holes on a flute. 03. Branching refers to any branching coral, such as Acropora species. Pictures of two primary genera of the Acroporidae family that together makes up almost one-third of all reef-building corals. Blade Fire Coral. Photos and pictures of Acropora species Bottlebrush, Branching, Brier, Bushy, Cat's Paw, Cluster, Elkhorn, Staghorn, Table/Tabletop Acropora corals, and Montipora species named Plate, Velvet/Velvet Finger Coral, Encrusting and Whorled Montipora. Striatopora is a type of branching tabulate coral. When it comes to Coral Identification the sheer number of and different types of coral make it hard to come up with an extensive, all encompassing list. Branching Fire Coral. Knowing and being able to identify different types of marine life, fish and coral makes scuba diving all the more exciting and enjoyable. Colour ranges from cream, pink or blue to greens. ifish / Getty Images. Conduct surveys of coral community composition at sites and assess dominance of coral types known to be more resistant or tolerant to bleaching. Coral: for the specific purpose of Coral ID, the term coral is short for zooxanthellate scleractinian coral. Montastrea cavernosa. The coral animal, along with its algae, grows on a skeleton of coral created from calcium in the sea water. Stylophora pistillata. Size: Up to 30cm across. Knobby Cactus Coral. 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