Acropora glauca
Brook, 1893
this poorly known species shows wide geographic variation.
Description: Colonies consist of flat, highly fused, basal branches with irregular upright branchlets. The entire colony is sometimes a single solid plate and sometimes upward branchlets are not developed. Axial corallites are indistinct from radial corallites. Radial corallites have wide openings and thick lips.
Color: Brown, cream or green.
Habitat: Rocky foreshores of subtropical locations.
Abundance: Common in subtropical locations, rare elsewhere.
Similar Species: Acropora solitaryensis. See also A. branchi, A. orbicularis, A. retusa, A. arabensis and A. clathrata.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic references: Veron and Wallace (1984), Wallace (1999). Identification guides: Veron (1986), Nishihira and Veron (1995).
Forming a plate with well developed branchlets. Elizabeth Reef, south-east Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron
A single large colony in shallow water. Norfolk Island, western Pacific Photograph: Charlie Veron
A plate consisting of interlocking branches. Houtman Abrolhos Islands, south-west Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron
Branchlets at a plate margin. Madagascar Photograph: Charlie Veron
Corallite detail. Solitary Islands, south-east Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron
Skeletal detail. Radial corallites.