Species Detail: Montastraea annularis
Taxonomy / Classification
Scientific Name: Montastraea annularis
 
Authority: Ellis (1786)
 
Synonyms:
 
Common Names:
Common Names Location Language
Lobed star coral Caribbean English
Mountainous star coral Caribbean English
 
 
Formal Taxonomy:
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Animalia Cnidaria Anthozoa
 Scleractinia
(Stony Corals)		 Faviidae Montastraea
 
Taxonomic Comments:
 
General Species Description: Massive colonies, size of the colony varying, sometimes forming boulders up to 2 m diameter. Columella of interlacing trabeculae about one third of the corallite. Three cycles of septa, the first two of the reaching the columella. Corallites circular, sometimes protruding above peritheca, not over 4 mm in diameter. Generally present at the reef in open sea. Absent in landlocked bays. Lower depth limit approximately 30 m. Often abundant at a depth of approx. 10 m. where it then forms the bulk of the reef. This is the most important reef building coral in the region. Its large colonies are very conspicuous. The are often sperical, with or without broad verical ridges. Mostly there is a depression at the top. Sometimes massive pillars of 2 metres height are encountered. Also crowded pillarlike colonies occur, the top of the pillars being hemispherical, with living tissue at the upper part of the colony only. These colonies may occur in rows, or in crowded clumps resulting in big spherical masses. Near the lower depth limit the colonies are flat and horizontal, at shadowed vertical surfaces the colonies may be shingle-like vertical plates. Colour of the colony brown, the oral discs are sometimes green. Three forms or species can be distinguished: M. annularis - colonies of closely packed, separate nodules or columns, smooth but irregular surfaces. Edges are commonly not growing. M. franksi - surfaces with scattered lumps, consisting of enlarged or protruding polyps, often pale, and irregular – the mottled colour is associated with the bumps. Gross shape is irregular bumpy mounds and plates. Growing edges contain large and small calices. M. faveolata - massive with upward projections often arranged in rows running down the sides of colonies, but not separate nodules or columns. Corallite walls are vertical compared with volcano shaped in the other two species. Calices on growing edges are regularly spaced. Gross shape is skirted mounds. (Source: 'coralpedia').

Conservation Status
Status type Location Status Review date
CITES Global II
SPAW Caribbean III

Habitats Terrestrially widely distributed: No

No Habitats listed.

Distribution Status
Distributions Occurrence Status Description
Caribbean

Location Occurrence Status Description
Bonaire
Curaçao

Population
Location Quality Quantity Description Date Comments
Bonaire Slagbaai
Curaçao Westpuntbaai

Threats No Threats listed.

Uses No Uses listed.

Resources
Images
http://www.dcbiodata.net/explorer_resources/Pictures/Corals/Coral M/Montastrea annularis 3.jpg http://www.dcbiodata.net/explorer_resources/Pictures/Corals/Coral M/Montastrea annularis 2.jpg http://www.dcbiodata.net/explorer_resources/Pictures/Corals/Coral M/Montastrea annularis 1.jpg
Google Image Search

Distribution Maps No Distribution Maps listed.

Documents No Documents listed.

Web Links No Web Links listed.

References
Citation Author Reference Type
The shallow-water stony corals of the Netherlands Antilles / P.J. Roos. - Roos, Pieter Jan. - In: Studies on the fauna of Curaçao and other Caribbean islands, vol. 37, no. 130 (1971); p. 1-108, ill. - With bibliogr. - Also in: Collected papers / Caribbean Marine Biological Institute, vol. 7, no. 99. - 1971 Roos, Pieter Jan Published document
Humann, P. & N. Deloach. 2006. Reef coral identification (Florida Caribbean Bahamas). New World Publications, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida. Humann, P. & N. Deloach. 2006. Published document

Additional Resources

Additional off-site resources may be available for this taxon at the following sites. Click on one of the links below to perform appropriate search: