Crisp Pillow Coral

zooxanthellate

Many specimens have large pali forming a clear ring around the columella, though in other specimens the pali are only slight thickening of the central part of the septa. Columellae consist of 3 or 4 small pinnacles in a depressed central pit. In the Arabian Gulf and northern parts of the Arabian Sea at least, it is fairly common. The species lives at the base of shallow reefs, near or on sandy areas, but always where there is good water movement. It is found on fore-reef slopes and rarely on back reef slopes, though it also exists on wrecks in fairly turbid water. Its recorded depths range is 2 to 18 m deep. (Sheppard, 1998 ). Forms low, small, mound-like colonies up to about 20 cm in height. The septal pattern is reduced and corallites are small (3-5 mm across) and arranged irregularly in honeycomb pattern similar to Favia or Favites, but the skeleton is much more porous. Colour: usually brown. Habitat: mainly in shallow water and tidal pools. (Richmond, 1997). Tropical Indo-Pacific in Kalk (1958).