Paragoniastrea australensis
A common, variable stony coral of Indo-Pacific shallow waters.
Paragoniastrea australensis, commonly called the Lesser star coral, is a stony coral belonging to the family Merulinidae. It is found in shallow Indo-Pacific waters. This coral forms colonies that can be massive, submassive, or encrusting. Its corallites are arranged in deep, steep-walled valleys that are meandroid—either short or long depending on the habitat. The septa are even, regularly spaced, and extend across valley walls into adjacent valleys; they are finely toothed with paliform lobes, and the columella are large. Coloration is highly variable, most often green or brown, with the valley floor frequently contrasting with the rest of the surface.
This common, widespread species occurs in shallow, clear waters across the Indo-West Pacific, including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan, and the China Sea. It is zooxanthellate, deriving most of its nutrition from symbiotic dinoflagellates living in its tissues, supplemented by plankton caught by its polyps.
The species has a large total population and wide range, making it more resilient than some other corals. Its main threats include mechanical destruction of reef habitats and climate change—such as damage from extreme weather, rising sea temperatures, and ocean acidification. The IUCN lists it as "least concern," and it is protected under CITES Appendix II.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Paragoniastrea australensis
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Colonies of Paragoniastrea australensis can be massive, submassive or encrusting. The corallites are arranged in deep valleys with steep walls. The valleys are meandroid and may be short or long, depending on the habitat in which the coral grows. The septa are even and regularly spaced and extend over the valley walls into the next valley. They are finely toothed and have paliform lobes, and the columella are large. This coral is quite variable in colour, most often being some shade of green or brown, with the valley floor often contrasting with the rest of the surface.
Paragoniastrea australensis is a zooxanthellate species of coral. It obtains most of its nutritional needs from the symbiotic dinoflagellates that live within its soft tissues, supplementing this with the planktonic organisms caught by the polyps. This coral is a common species with a wide range and large total population size which makes it more resilient than some other species of coral.
Reader's Guide
Paragoniastrea australensis, the Lesser star coral, is a common and widespread species in the Indo-West Pacific, found from the Red Sea to Japan and Australia. Its resilience stems from its large total population size and wide range, which make it less vulnerable than many other coral species. The main threats faced by corals are related to the mechanical destruction of their coral reef habitats and climate change; these include increasing damage from extreme weather events, rising sea water temperatures and ocean acidification. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the conservation status of this species as being of 'least concern'. All corals receive protection by being listed on CITES Appendix II. Its variable coloration and meandroid valley structure, with even septa and paliform lobes, contribute to its identification in the field. As a zooxanthellate species, it relies primarily on symbiotic dinoflagellates for nutrition, supplemented by plankton capture.
Did You Know?
- Paragoniastrea australensis is also known as the Lesser star coral.
- It is listed on CITES Appendix II.
More in Brain and Merulinid Corals 1-24
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