Gyrosmilia interrupta
Ehrenberg, 1834
Description: Colonies are submassive humps or are laminar with free margins. They are commonly up to 0.5 metres across. Valleys are approximately 8 millimetres wide and tend to radiate and bifurcate towards the colony margins. Septa are uniformly spaced and exsert. They form a thin ridge along the walls and plunge steeply in valley centres. There are no columellae. Tentacles are extended only at night.
Color: Distinctive uniform greenish grey-brown.
Habitat: Shallow reef environments protected from strong wave action.
Abundance: Usually uncommon.
Similar Species: Resembles Meandrina meandrites. See also Ctenella chagius which has sinuous valleys of uniform width.
Source reference: Veron (2000). Taxonomic reference: Scheer and Pillai (1983). Identification guide: Sheppard and Sheppard (1991).
This species usually occurs as small colonies on reef slopes and in crevices. Pemba Island, Tanzania Photograph: Charlie Veron
Detail of valleys. Sinai Peninsula, Egypt Photograph: Charlie Veron
A submassive colony. Pemba Island, Tanzania Photograph: Charlie Veron
Skeletal detail. Showing corallites.