Knowledge base of the Mascarene’s corals - v2

cerioid

Corallites separated, but with common (adjacent) walls.
The state cerioid (separated and joined corallites) results from fused wall of different corallites. There is no cœnosteum*.

* Cœnosteum: the whole of the skeletal components located between corallites.

cerioid

cerioid

cerioid

cerioid

cerioid

plocoid

Corallites separated, no common (adjacent) walls.
The different corallites have their own walls separated by common skeleton (cœnosteum*) which is more or less developed and sometimes not easily conspicuous (well developed on the first photo).

* Cœnosteum: the whole of the skeletal components located between corallites.

plocoid

plocoid

plocoid

plocoid

plocoid

plocoid

plocoid

dendroid

Corallites arranged like the branches of a tree.
There is no cœnosteum*.

* Cœnosteum: the whole of the skeletal components located between corallites.

dendroid

dendroid

dendroid

dendroid

thamnasteroid

Corallites separated with a poorly defined wall (wall sometimes not conspicuous), connected by septo-costae* which are organised like a star.
Photo:Pavona pavona

* septo-costae: welding of septa between several monocentric corallites
Septa are vertical calcareous elements displayed hexaradial symmetry (Hexacoralia), which divide corallite cavity into several chambers (multiple of six).

thamnasteroid

thamnasteroid

thamnasteroid

thamnasteroid

thamnasteroid

thamnasteroid

scattered

Corallites centers are irregularly distributed on the colony and distance between corallites varies widely.

scattered

scattered

scattered

scattered

phaceloid

Corallites separated by no common wall, cœnosteum* is only present at the basis of the wall and therefore not easily conspicuous. Carefull, seen from the front: phaceloid characteristic is rarely visible and can be confused with the state plocoid.

* Cœnosteum: the whole of the skeletal components located between corallites.

phaceloid

phaceloid

phaceloid

phaceloid

phaceloid

meandroid

Pluricentric corallites, corallites centers are aligned and limited by a common wall.
Two corallites arrangements can occur in the same colony: plocoid and meandroid as well as cerioid and meandroid (in the last case and for the colony strictly meandroid, there is no cœnosteum*).

* Cœnosteum: the whole of the skeletal components located between corallites.

meandroid

meandroid

meandroid

meandroid

meandroid

flabello-meandroid

Corallites centers in valleys with no common walls and without cœnosteum*.

Photo: Lobophyllia et plerogyra.

* Cœnosteum: the whole of the skeletal components located between corallites.

flabello-meandroid

flabello-meandroid

flabello-meandroid

flabello-meandroid

flabello-meandroid

hydnophoroid

Corallites centers arranged around cœnosteum* ridges or hill.
The common wall that characterizes 'meandroid' breaks in monticules. The valleys containing corallites become discontinuous or network form, it's called 'hydnophoroid structure'.

Photo: Hydnophora

* Cœnosteum: the whole of the skeletal components located between corallites.

hydnophoroid

hydnophoroid

hydnophoroid

hydnophoroid

fungioid

Corallites centers are irregularly or regulary distributed on the colony and linked by septa elements. Sometimes some corallites centers are gathered in central dimple.
The wall is present but invisible on the higher face of the colony, and only visible on the lower face.

fungioid

fungioid

fungioid

fungioid

not applicable

For this case, Scleractinian is solitary (one individual and not a colony of several individuals) with only one corallite.
The value of the arrangement of corallites is therefore not appreciable, it is 'not applicable'.

Here: Heterocyathus et Fungia

not applicable

not applicable

not applicable

not applicable

Belongs to the group

• [colonie/individu]