Euphyllia yaeyamaensis
Shirai, 1980
Description: Colonies are phaceloid with corallites circular or flabello-meandroid with short valleys. Valleys are up to 40 millimetres wide. Corallite walls are sharp edged. Septa are closely compacted. There are no columellae. Tentacles are short and fleshy and covered with short uniform branchlets, each with a terminal knob. They are aligned radially to polyp centres and can retract, but only slowly.
Color: Usually a distinctive purple-grey, sometimes greenish-grey, occasionally translucent. Branchlets sometimes have pale tips.
Habitat: Shallow reef environments.
Abundance: Uncommon.
Similar Species: Euphyllia divisa, which does not have such fleshy radiating tentacles or short uniform branchlets.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic reference: Shirai (1980). Identification guide: Nishihira and Veron (1995).
Slightly retracted tentacles reveal the underlying phaceloid shape of the colony. Bolinao, Philippines Photograph: Charlie Veron
Characteristic appearance of fleshy tentacles. Papua New Guinea Photograph: Charlie Veron
An unusual colour variant. Ryukyu Islands, Japan Photograph: Charlie Veron
Skeletal detail. Branch ends.