Porites

Finger Coral
Porites sp.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Scleractinia
Suborder: Fungiina
Family: Poritidae
Genus: Porites
Link, 1807[1]
Species

See text

Synonyms

Synaraea Verrill, 1864[2]

Porites is a genus of stony coral; they are SPS (Small Polyp Stony) corals. They are characterised by a finger-like morphology. Members of this genus have widely spaced calices, a well-developed wall reticulum and are bilaterally symmetrical. Porites, particularly Porites lutea, often form microatolls.[3] Corals of the genus Porites also often serve as hosts for Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus).

Aquarium trade

Specimens of Porites are sometimes available for purchase in the aquarium trade. Most Porites that are collected have Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) that bore into the coral, serving as additional aesthetic livestock. These particular Porites specimens are called "christmas tree worm rocks" or "christmas tree worm coral". However, due to the strict water quality, lighting and dietary requirements, keeping Porites in captivity is very difficult.

Small colony of Porites porites, French Bay, San Salvador Island, Bahamas

Paleoclimatology

Porites corals have been shown to be accurate and precise recorders of past marine surface conditions.[4] Measurements of the oxygen isotopic composition of the aragonitic skeleton of coral specimens indicate the sea-surface temperature conditions and the oxygen isotopic composition of the seawater at the time of growth.[5] The oxygen isotopic composition of seawater can indicate the precipitation/evaporation balance because oxygen atoms of the more abundant mass 16 will preferentially evaporate before the more rare mass 18 oxygen. The relationship between temperature, precipitation, and the oxygen isotopic composition of Porites corals is important for reconstructing past climates, and associated large-scale patterns such as the El-Nino Southern Oscillation, the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and the mean state of the climate system.

Species

  • †Porites amplectans Felix, 1921
  • Porites annae Crossland, 1952
  • †Porites anguillensis Vaughan, 1919
  • Porites aranetai Nemenzo, 1955
  • Porites arnaudi Reyes-Bonilla & Carricart-Ganivet, 2000
  • Porites astreoides Lamarck, 1816
  • Porites attenuata Nemenzo, 1955
  • Porites australiensis Vaughan, 1918
  • Porites baueri Squires, 1959
  • Porites branneri Rathbun, 1887
  • Porites brighami Vaughan, 1907
  • Porites cocosensis Wells, 1950
  • Porites colonensis Zlatarski, 1990
  • Porites columnaris Klunzinger, 1879
  • Porites compressa Dana, 1846
  • Porites cumulatus Nemenzo, 1955
  • Porites cylindrica Dana, 1846
  • Porites decasepta Clareboudt, 2006
  • Porites deformis Nemenzo, 1955
  • Porites densa Vaughan, 1918
  • Porites desilveri Veron, 2000
  • Porites divaricata LeSueur, 1821
  • Porites echinulata Klunzinger, 1879
  • Porites eridani Umbgrove, 1940
  • Porites evermanni Vaughan, 1907
  • Porites flavus Veron, 2000
  • Porites furcata Lamarck, 1816
  • Porites gabonensis Gravier, 1911
  • Porites harrisoni Veron, 2000
  • Porites heronensis Veron, 1985
  • Porites horizontalata Hoffmeister, 1925
  • Porites iwayamaensis Eguchi, 1938
  • Porites latistellata Quelch, 1886
  • Porites lichen Dana, 1846
  • Porites lobata Dana, 1846
  • Porites lutea Quoy & Gaimard, 1833
  • †Porites macdonaldi Vaughan, 1919
  • Porites mayeri Vaughan, 1918
  • Porites monticulosa Dana, 1846
  • Porites mordax Dana, 1846
  • Porites murrayensis Vaughan, 1918
  • Porites myrmidonensis Veron, 1985
  • Porites napopora Veron, 2000
  • Porites negrosensis Veron, 1990
  • Porites nigrescens Dana, 1846
  • Porites nodifera Klunzinger, 1879
  • Porites okinawensis Veron, 1990
  • Porites ornata Nemenzo, 1971
  • Porites panamensis Verrill, 1866
  • Porites porites Pallas, 1766
  • †Porites portoricensis Vaughan, 1919
  • Porites profundus Rehberg, 1892
  • Porites pukoensis Vaughan, 1907
  • Porites rugosa Fenner & Veron, 2000
  • Porites rus Forskål, 1775
  • Porites sillimaniani Nemenzo, 1976
  • Porites solida Forskål, 1775
  • Porites somaliensis Gravier, 1910
  • Porites stephensoni Crossland, 1952
  • Porites sverdrupi Durham, 1947
  • †Porites trinitatis Vaughan in Vaughan and Hoffmeister, 1926
  • Porites tuberculosa Veron, 2000
  • Porites undulata Klunzinger, 1879
  • Porites vaughani Crossland, 1952
  • Porites verrilli Rehberg, 1893
  • †Porites waylandi Foster, 1986

References

  1. ↑ WoRMS (2010). "Porites Link, 1807". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  2. ↑ "ITIS Standard Report Page: Porites". Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  3. ↑ Flora, C.J.; Ely P.S. (2003). "Surface Growth Rings of Porites lutea Microatolls Accurately Track Their Annual Growth". Northwest Science 77 (3): 237–245. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
  4. ↑ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wcc.39/pdf
  5. ↑ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2011GL048224/pdf