Hexacorallia |
Scleractinia |
Merulinidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Reef-associated; depth range 0 - 40 m (Ref. 848). Tropical; 36°N - 37°S, 32°E - 108°W (Ref. 848)
Indo-Pacific and Southwest Atlantic.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Colony: massive, submassive, or encrusting. Corallites: very meandroid with long valleys, or sub-meandroid with short valleys of 1 to 3 centers. Most with deep, steep sided valleys and distinct corallite centers. Septa: regularly spaced, equal and even; paliform lobes present; margins with fine dentations. Large and conspicuous columella. Thecae thickness varies greatly. Skeletal structures vary between environments. Colors also variable but are mostly uniformly dull brown or green; walls and valley floors occasionally in contrasting colors (Ref. 085244).
Found on rocky and gravel bottom at depths between 1.8 to 21.6 m. Also on volcanic submarine beds (Ref. 88968) and most tropical coral reef environments (Ref. 85244).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Hermaphroditic (Ref. 113712). Mature gametes are shed into the coelenteron and spawned through the mouth. Life cycle: The zygote develops into a planktonic planula larva. Metamorphosis begins with early morphogenesis of tentacles, septa and pharynx before larval settlement on the aboral end (Ref. 833).
Veron, J.E.N. 2000. (Ref. 848)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Trophic EcologyFood items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionRecruitmentAbundance Human RelatedAquaculture profiles
Stamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 23.8 - 27.8, mean 26.7 (based on 162 cells).
Price category
Unknown.