馬島雀屏珊瑚

zooxanthellate

Colonies of Pavona maldivensis are usually part encrusting, part massive and often have a foliaceous perimeter. They may be large (colonies over 1.5 m diameter have been seen in the Straits of Tiran, northern Red Sea), but are more usually less than 30 cm across. They are distinguished by having markedly plocoid corallites which reach 2 to 3 mm diameter and 1 to 2 mm tall above the corallum surface. This is mostly a clear water, fore-reef slope species. It is fairly abundant between 5 and 25 m deep, and is always seen on outer reef slopes in particular (Sheppard, 1998). Colonies are columnar, or thin horizontal plates, or mixtures of these. Corallites are circular, plocoid, usually of irregular sizes. Those near plate margins may be aligned in parallel rows. Colour: pale or dark grey-brown or green, sometimes bright orange. Abundance: may be common on upper reef slopes and outer reef flats. The columnar form is usually found where wave action is strong (Veron, 1986).