Descriptor : Overall colony growth form?
What is the overall colony growth form? (or individual for free-living coral)
Consider an averallview. Click on the different states (in the window states at the bottom left) to see their definitions and illustrations.
You can choose one or more of them (with the shift key), and sumbit.
Caution: Some colony may include several different states; for example, attached encrusting and massive. The overall colony growth form is closely linked with environement (hydrodynamism, irradiance, etc.) and can greatly vary within the same genus.
Young colonies are often encrusting at the beginning of their development.
encrusting
massive
branching
columnar
tabular
foliaceous
cup-shaped
discoid
free, elongate
free, discoid
free, nodular
- attached, encrusting
-
Colony adhering to the substrate by any surface
attached, encrusting
attached, encrusting
attached, encrusting
attached, encrusting
- attached, massive
-
High thicknesses colonies having a tendency to give regular formation, hemispherical, spherical, hillocky, irregular or micro-atoll.
attached, massive
attached, massive
attached, massive
attached, massive
- attached, branching
-
Branching colonies can show differents aspects, more or less developped bunchs, short or slender branches.
attached, branching
attached, branching
attached, branching
attached, branching
- attached, columnar
-
Columnar-shaped colonies more or less thick and elongated. The basis can be massive.
attached, columnar
attached, columnar
attached, columnar
attached, columnar
- attached, tabular
-
Colony is horizontally spread representing a table which is made up branches welded together. For the most of species, very short branches are visible on the top of the colony.
attached, tabular
attached, tabular
attached, tabular
attached, tabular
- attached, foliaceous
-
Attached and foliaceous form: foliaceous forms can present two different aspects, in the form of narrow and vertical leafs or in the form of horizontal strips.
attached, foliaceous
attached, foliaceous
attached, foliaceous
attached, foliaceous
- attached, cup-shaped
-
Colony comes in form of cup and attached to foot.
attached, cup-shaped
attached, cup-shaped
attached, cup-shaped
attached, cup-shaped
- attached, discoid
-
Small colonies in form of disc.
Carefull: free and discoid corals (Fungia) are attached to peduncle into juvenile stage.
attached, discoid
- free, elongated
-
Only genus Herpolitha presents this value.
free, elongated
free, elongated
free, elongated
free, elongated
- free, discoid
-
CAREFULL, juvenile forms are attached to substratum by a peduncle (free at the adult stage).
free, discoid
free, discoid
free, discoid
free, discoid
- free, nodular
-
Free form relatively uncommon, it applies to massive or encrusting colonies which develop on small unattached substratum (support like pebbles, coral gravels, etc. with sizes lower than 20 cm). Also applicable to fragments of cracked colonies. Nodular forms occur most often in high hydrodynamic environments (reef flat, blind passage, etc.).
free, nodular
free, nodular
free, nodular
free, nodular
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