Acropora valida

Acropora valida
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Hexacorallia
Order:	Scleractinia
Family:	Acroporidae
Genus:	Acropora
Species:	A. valida
Binomial name
Acropora valida (Dana, 1846)
Synonyms
List Acropora calamaria (Brook, 1892) Acropora dissimilis Verril, 1902 Acropora parapharaonis Veron, 2000 Acropora tumida (Verrill, 1866) Acropora variabilis (Klunzinger, 1879) Madrepora calamaria Brook, 1892 Madrepora coalescens Ortmann, 1889 Madrepora tumida Verrill, 1866 Madrepora valida Dana, 1846 Madrepora variabilis Klunzinger, 1879

Acropora valida is a species of acroporid coral found in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwestern, northwestern and northern Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea, the oceanic western, central and far eastern Pacific Ocean, the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll. It occurs in tropical shallow reefs in a variety of reef habitats, at depths of 1 to 15 metres (3 ft 3 in to 49 ft 3 in).

Taxonomy

It was originally described as Madrepora valida by Dana in 1846.

Description

It is found in colonies of varying shapes, with diameters sometimes above 0.5 metres (20 in). It has small axial corallites and its radial corallites are appressed and in a variety of sizes. It is brown, cream, or yellow in colour, and branch tips are sometimes purple. It looks similar to Acropora variabilis.

Distribution

It is classed as a least concern species on the IUCN Red List, but it is believed that its population is decreasing in line with the global decline of coral reefs, and it is listed under Appendix II of CITES. Figures of its population are unknown, but is likely to be threatened by the global reduction of coral reefs, the increase of temperature causing coral bleaching, climate change, human activity, the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) and disease. It occurs in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the southwestern, northwestern and northern Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, southeast Asia, Japan, the East China Sea, the oceanic western, central and far eastern Pacific Ocean, the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Atoll. It is found at depths of between 1 and 15 metres (3 ft 3 in and 49 ft 3 in) in tropical shallow reefs in a large range of reef habitats.