Species Detail: Scolymia lacera
Taxonomy / Classification
Scientific Name: Scolymia lacera
 
Authority: (Pallas, 1766)
 
Synonyms:
 
Common Names:
Common Names Location Language
Atlantic mushroom coral Caribbean English
 
 
Formal Taxonomy:
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Animalia Cnidaria Anthozoa
 Scleractinia
(Stony Corals)		 Mussidae Scolymia
 
Taxonomic Comments: Scolymia lacera may be the same as S. cubensis (Veron 2000).
 
General Species Description: This species may be the same as Scolymia cubensis, as Veron (2000) points out. Other authorities believe it is a valid species. When less than full grown the two species are difficult to distinguish. When fully grown, S. lacera reaches a larger size than S. cubensis, and several reports describe S. lacera as being significantly larger, more fleshy, and with a fleshy perimeter that extends further beyond the edge of the limestone calice. It is the coral with the largest polyps in the Caribbean region. Fenner believes that S. lacera may be young Mussa angulosa. Fenner, D.P. 1993. Species distinctions among several Caribbean corals. Bulletin of Marine Science 53: 1099-1116.

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

Habitats Terrestrially widely distributed: No

No Habitats listed.

Distribution Status No Distributions listed.

Location Occurrence Status Description
Dutch Caribbean

Population No Population listed.

Threats No Threats listed.

Uses No Uses listed.

Resources
Images
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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
Fenner, D.P. 1993. Species distinctions among several Caribbean corals. Bulletin of Marine Science 53: 1099-1116. Fenner, D.P. 1993. 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
Veron 2000. Corals of the World. Three Volumes. Australian Institute of Marine Science. Veron 2000. 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: