Coral Communities: Composition and Formation
253
annual periodicity. As examples of typical k-strategists, the massive corals
Porites and Montastrea could be mentioned.
Most other corals belong to the third group with an intermediate life
strategy between the contrasting types. This gives them a special lability
which enables them to familiarize themselves with diverse kinds of
environments and various types of hard substrates. These corals are less
specialized, and the polyps of many of them are active also in daytime.
Phenotypically, they are labile, forming in various reef environments a
multitude of adaptive ecomorphs. Among them are the most common
species of the large genus Acropora, most of the faviids, the genera Pavona,
Hydronophora, Galaxea, and Goniopora. The communities of deep-reef
biotopes with stable environmental conditions include a lot of specialized
corals living there only, like some agaricids and some species of the genera
Turbinaria, Ehinophyllia, Leptoseris, and Diaseris.
The taxonomy of reef corals is fraught with many problems and raises
points for discussion (Boushon 1981). Most of their species are
morphologically extremely versatile. Living in diverse environments they
have a very high level of phenotypic variability, and form mumerous
ecomorphs on different reefs or even within the same reef in its different
zones. These morphs are diverse in the form of their colonies, coloration,
and the size of corallites (Veron and Wallace 1984). These ecomorphs have
often been described as separate species of corals. Therefore, the number of
their nominal species significantly exceeds the number of the real ones. For
example, the genus Acropora includes 365 nominal species and about 90 real
ones. The genus Montipora includes, correspondingly, 211 nominal species
against only 50 real ones, the genus Pocillopora 10 real species out of 35
nominal ones, Stylophora 4 real for 35 nominal, Turbinaria 10 real out of 80
nominal, etc. Small wonder then that the system of scleractinians has been
revised many times (Veron et al. 1977; Ditlev 1978, Veron and Wallace
1984; UNESCO 1985). Below short descriptions of the ecological
characteristics of the most important families of scleractinians are given.
Family Acroporidae. This is the largest and most important family of reefbuilding corals. It includes only three genera: Acropora, Montipora and
Astraepora but about a third part of their total species belong to this family:
150 out of a total of 520-530 real species of scleractinians. The genus
Acropora comprises around 90 real species. Together with corals from
related genera, like Montipora, Pocillopora, Stylophora and Seriatopora, the
genus Acropora dominates on most reefs both by the relative number of
colonies and by the relative area covered. These corals are especially
common in shallow surf zones of reef fiats and of upper outer slopes. They
are numerous also in lagoons and in submerged areas of reef fiats.
Acroporids are the main reef builders on most reefs (Kuhlmann 1974;
Latypov 1979; Randall 1981; Veron 1986). They grow faster than any other,
253
annual periodicity. As examples of typical k-strategists, the massive corals
Porites and Montastrea could be mentioned.
Most other corals belong to the third group with an intermediate life
strategy between the contrasting types. This gives them a special lability
which enables them to familiarize themselves with diverse kinds of
environments and various types of hard substrates. These corals are less
specialized, and the polyps of many of them are active also in daytime.
Phenotypically, they are labile, forming in various reef environments a
multitude of adaptive ecomorphs. Among them are the most common
species of the large genus Acropora, most of the faviids, the genera Pavona,
Hydronophora, Galaxea, and Goniopora. The communities of deep-reef
biotopes with stable environmental conditions include a lot of specialized
corals living there only, like some agaricids and some species of the genera
Turbinaria, Ehinophyllia, Leptoseris, and Diaseris.
The taxonomy of reef corals is fraught with many problems and raises
points for discussion (Boushon 1981). Most of their species are
morphologically extremely versatile. Living in diverse environments they
have a very high level of phenotypic variability, and form mumerous
ecomorphs on different reefs or even within the same reef in its different
zones. These morphs are diverse in the form of their colonies, coloration,
and the size of corallites (Veron and Wallace 1984). These ecomorphs have
often been described as separate species of corals. Therefore, the number of
their nominal species significantly exceeds the number of the real ones. For
example, the genus Acropora includes 365 nominal species and about 90 real
ones. The genus Montipora includes, correspondingly, 211 nominal species
against only 50 real ones, the genus Pocillopora 10 real species out of 35
nominal ones, Stylophora 4 real for 35 nominal, Turbinaria 10 real out of 80
nominal, etc. Small wonder then that the system of scleractinians has been
revised many times (Veron et al. 1977; Ditlev 1978, Veron and Wallace
1984; UNESCO 1985). Below short descriptions of the ecological
characteristics of the most important families of scleractinians are given.
Family Acroporidae. This is the largest and most important family of reefbuilding corals. It includes only three genera: Acropora, Montipora and
Astraepora but about a third part of their total species belong to this family:
150 out of a total of 520-530 real species of scleractinians. The genus
Acropora comprises around 90 real species. Together with corals from
related genera, like Montipora, Pocillopora, Stylophora and Seriatopora, the
genus Acropora dominates on most reefs both by the relative number of
colonies and by the relative area covered. These corals are especially
common in shallow surf zones of reef fiats and of upper outer slopes. They
are numerous also in lagoons and in submerged areas of reef fiats.
Acroporids are the main reef builders on most reefs (Kuhlmann 1974;
Latypov 1979; Randall 1981; Veron 1986). They grow faster than any other,