Acropora longicyathus
Milne Edwards and Haime, 1860
Description: Colonies are subarborescent, with bottlebrush branches where upright main branches sometimes form clumps. Axial and incipient axial corallites may be indistinguishable. Radial corallites are appressed. All corallites have thick walls with round openings.
Color: Usually uniform pale to dark brown, occasionally blue.
Habitat: A wide range of reef environments.
Abundance: Common and may be a dominant species on unconsolidated substrates.
Similar Species: Acropora navini. See also A. carduus and bottlebrush forms of A. loripes.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic references: Veron and Wallace (1984), Wallace (1999). Identification guides: Veron (1986), Nishihira and Veron (1995).
An extensive stand of elongate branches. Pemba Island, Tanzania Photograph: Charlie Veron
Showing branches. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Ed Lovell
A thicket. Calamian Islands, Philippines Photograph: Charlie Veron
Skeletal detail. Axial and radial corallites.
Corallite detail. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Photograph: Charlie Veron