Flowerpot Coral

zooxanthellate

Mature colonies are columnar. They may be surrounded by small, free living, roughly spherical balls, which grow into larger dome shaped colonies. The skeletal balls develop within the living tissue when still attached to the parent, and then detach to grow independently. (The second photo in both the b/w and colour series are polyp balls.) Calices are deep, sometimes 3 or 4 mm deep, and walls are thin and perforated. In free living balls, septal structures are especially thin and loosely packed, though this condition is also reached in rapidly growing parts of attached columns. The columella is very variable, sometimes very small, sometimes half a calice diameter. Septa are perforated and have an uneven appearance. The calices have a more ragged appearance than other Goniopora. Living polyps are about 10 cm long. The species is found mostly in turbid areas, or amongst sandy patches in broken reef areas, from 2 to 10 m deep. (Sheppard, 1998 ) Colonies are free-living or attached, hemispherical or short thick columns. Calices are 3-6 mm in diameter with high walls which have a ragged appearance. Columellae are broad and irregular. Small daughter colonies often occur imbedded in the living tissue or parent colonies. Polyps are of mixed sizes, the larger being very elongate. Colour: uniform brown or green. Abundance: Uncommon usually found free-living, on sandy substrates. (Veron, 1986 ) Easily recognised under water, as the polyps are fully extended during the day. The presence of "polyp balls"--small skeletal spheres which grow attached to the parent colony and then drop off to form independent colonies--also characterise this species. Polyps have large, white oral cones and, with their 24 tentacles extended, colonies have the appearance of a cluster of daisies. Colonies form low mounds. Colour: usually pale greyish-green. Habitat: sheltered, commonly turbid areas. (Richmond, 1997)