Echinopora lamellosa corallites from Cocos (Keelilng) Islands (Photo: Zoe Richards)

Leafy Hedgehog coral

Echinopora lamellosa

Plating coral, often forming tiers. Coloies often yellow or pale to dark brown or green and pink, sometimes with darker brown or green corallite centres.

Morphology

Colonies are thin laminar plates growing in tiers, whorls and sometimes tubes.  Corallites are small (2.5-5 mm diameter) and raised on the colony surface. The coenosteum is highly granulated.

Evolution

 Species age estimated to be 0.694 mya

Behaviour

Zooxanthellate coral that can grow into large stands and dominate sections of the reef.

Method of reproduction

Hermaphroditic spawner

Habitat

Marine

Intertidal and subtidal to approx. 40m. Reef flats, slopes, backreefs, lagoons.

Distribution

Indo-Pacific

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.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Merulinidae
Genus: Echinopora
Species: lamellosa
Name Published Year: 1795
Scientific Name Authorship: Esper
Commercial Impact: 

Collected for the aquarium industry

Conservation Assessment: Least Concern

Net Conservation Benefits Fund

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Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/Echinopora-lamellosa
Accessed 31 Aug 2023

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