Thin birdsnest coral
A branching stony coral that forms bushy clumps in shallow Indo-Pacific reefs.
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Seriatopora hystrix, commonly known as thin birdsnest coral, is a colonial stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It forms tangled, bushy clumps of fragile, slender, tapering branches with pointed tips and is found in shallow water on fore-reef slopes or in sheltered lagoons. This species is native to East Africa, the Red Sea, and the western Indo-Pacific region, and is notable for its high growth rate, high reproductive output, and role as an early colonizer of disturbed reef areas.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumCnidaria
- SubphylumAnthozoa
- ClassHexacorallia
- OrderScleractinia
- FamilyPocilloporidae
- GenusSeriatopora
- SpeciesSeriatopora hystrix
Named by Dana, 1846
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Seriatopora hystrix (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 206973 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Vulnerable (VU)
- LC
- NT
- VU▲ this species
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
Where the thin birdsnest coral has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (1,814 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 12 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 1 isolated far-off record not drawn.
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)
Quick Facts
- Scientific name
- Seriatopora hystrix
- Family
- Pocilloporidae
- Maximum colony size
- 1 metre across
- Habitat
- Shallow water on fore-reef slopes or in sheltered lagoons, at depths between 3 and 15 m / 49 ft 3 in
- Diet
- Zooxanthellate (houses symbiotic dinoflagellates)
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable species (IUCN)
Facts from the source article.
Background
Colonies of Seriatopora hystrix form a tangled, bushy clump of fragile, slender, tapering branches with pointed tips, which can grow to a metre across. In shallow positions with strong water movement, the branches are thicker than in deeper or turbid habitats. The corallites form neat rows of oval cup-shaped depressions with raised rims, from which polyps protrude at night. This coral can be cream, pink, yellow, brown, or blue.
Its range extends from East Africa, Madagascar, and the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean to tropical Australia, Japan, the South China Sea, and island groups in the West and Central Pacific. It occurs on reefs and reef flats, mostly at depths between 3 and 15 m. Seriatopora hystrix is a hermaphrodite, with mature polyps producing both sperm and eggs. Sperm are liberated into the sea and drawn into other polyps, and developing larvae are brooded maternally; self-fertilisation may be an important strategy.
Larvae settle within about 24 hours, suggesting limited dispersal, though some may be swept further by warm currents. Asexual reproduction occurs via fragments that detach and form new colonies, and under stress, 'polyp bail-out' can allow individual polyps to detach and found new colonies. The coral houses symbiotic dinoflagellates, which are transferred during larval brooding.
More in Stony Corals
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Seriatopora hystrix (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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