Anacropora is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of stony corals

Scleractinia

Scleractinia, also called stony corals, are exclusively marine animals; they are very similar to sea anemones but generate a hard skeleton. They first appeared in the Middle Triassic and replaced tabulate and rugose corals that went extinct at the end of the Permian...

 in the Acroporidae

Acroporidae

Acroporidae is a family of small polyped stony corals in the phylum Cnidaria. The name is derived from the Greek "akron" meaning "summit" and refers to the presence of a corallite at the tip of each branch of coral. They are commonly known as staghorn corals and are grown in aquaria by reef...

 family. They are sometimes called briar corals and there are seven known species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

.

Description

Members of this genus are generally fragile corals with branches less than ten centimetres long which form small colonies. The branches are either spreading or may be clustered and are sometimes fused together. The calices are rounded and up to one millimetre in diameter. The area between the calices is porous with numerous small tubercles. There are no axial corallites and the main septa number six with a few more subsidiary ones. The small radial corallites have an ‘empty’ appearance similar to Montipora

Montipora

Montipora is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Depending on the species and location, Montipora may grow as plates or ridges, appearing to some as a bowl or flower. Undisturbed, the plates expand radially and may encrust over surrounding rocks, shells or debris...

. The delicate tentacles can often be seen extended during the day.

Distribution

Members of this genus occur in the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

 and the western Pacific

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

 being found mostly in muddy waters. They are generally uncommon and are not a reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

 species.

Species

• Anacropora forbesi - Ridley, 1884
• Anacropora matthai - Pillai, 1973
• Anacropora pillai - Veron, 2002
• Anacropora puertogalerae - Nemenzo, 1964
• Anacropora reticulata - Veron and Wallace, 1984
• Anacropora spinosa - Rehberg, 1892
• Anacropora spumosa - Veron, Turak & DeVantier, 2002