√ Coral Species ID □ Colony shape (branching, mound, plates, column, crust, etc) □ Colony surface (bumpy, smooth, ridges) □ Polyp/Corallite Size (small, big) □ Polyp/Corallite shape (round/elliptical, irregular, y-shaped, ‘ innies vs outies’ ridge/valley) □ Polyp color (green, brown, tan, yellow, olive, red)

Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment University of Miami, RSMAS Dr. Robert Ginsburg

Different corallite shapes & sizes

Diploria strigosa © W. Harrigan © M. White © S. Suleimán © R. Steneck Examples of massive stony corals Montastraea faveolata Montastraea cavernosa Porites astreoides

Montastraea faveolata MFAV © S. Thornton Form very large mounds, plates or crusts (to 4-5 m /12-15 ft) Small, round polyps

Montastraea faveolata MFAV Surfaces smooth, ridged, or with bumps aligned in vertical rows © W. Harrigan © M. Weber © R. Steneck

M. faveolata MFAV Colonies are flattened, massive- plates with smooth surfaces under conditions of low light. © T. Turner

© A. Bruckner How similar to M. faveolata Small polyps Smooth surface How different Colonies are subdivided into numerous mounds or columns with live polyps at their summits. Plates at colony bases under low light conditions. (to 3-4 m/9-12 ft) Montastraea annularis MANN

© B. Kakuk M. faveolata MFAV Which is which? M. annularis MANN © L. Benvenuti

Montastraea franksi MFRA © P. Humann Close-up How similar to M. faveolata Small polyps and bumps How different Some polyps in bumps are larger, irregularly shaped, and may lack zooxanthellae. More aggressive spatial competitor.

© R. Steneck Montastraea franksi MFRA How similar to M. faveolata Form mounds, short columns, crusts, and/or plates. How different Bumps are scattered over colony surface. (to 3-4 m/9-12 ft)

Montastraea franksi MFRA Flattened, massive plate morphology in low light conditions.

How similar to M. annularis Small round polyps Mounds How different Lighter colors in life, Walls of some polyps are more distinct (“outies”) Bumpy colony surface (to ~1/2 m/<20 in) Solenastrea bournoni SBOU

How similar to S. bournoni Light colours Polyps with distinct walls How different Irregular, lobes above an encrusting base (to ~2/3 m/2 ft) Solenastrea hyades SHYA Humann (1993).

Montastraea cavernosa MCAV © J. Lang Close-up large, round polyps

M.cavernosa MCAV Mounds, single columns, thick crusts or thick plates. (< 3 m/9 ft) Pink fluoresence sometimes seen underwater is due to a symbiotic cyanobacterium in the polyps. © E. Weil

M. Cavernosa MCAV © T. Turner Colonies can form flattened, massive- plates in low light conditions.

© P. Humann How similar to M. cavernosa Distinct polyps Mounds, crusts or plates © R. Steneck Dichocoenia stokesi DSTO How different At least some elliptical and Y-shaped polyps (usually <.5 m/18 in)

How similar to D. stokesi Distinct, round-elongated polyps, some are Y-shaped. How different Polyps look more “spread out.” Smaller colonies (usually <10cm/4 in) Favia fragum FFRA © P. Humann

Palythoa caribaeorum M. cavernosa Palythoa Close-up How similar to M. cavernosa and D. stokesi Distinct polyps, some round and others elliptical Cream or light tan colour How different Soft-bodied crusts Very aggressive spatial competitor © P. Humann © R. McCall

© L. Benvenuti Palythoa caribaeorum Can be an excellent, early bleaching indicator partially bleached colonies

Siderastrea siderea SSID Sunken polyps (“innies”) with thin septa © R. Steneck

Mounds (to ~ 2 m/6 ft) bleached Siderastrea siderea SSID © R. Steneck

Siderastrea siderea SSID Fluorescent colours in some bleached colonies. bleached © R. Ginsburg dead

Siderastrea radians SRAD Irregular, sunken “pinched” polyps with fatter septa Small (to ~1/3 m/12 in)

Which is which? S. siderea S. radians

Stephanocoenia intersepta SINT Flat polyps which are darker (have more zoox. pigments) than intervening tissues “Blush” when contracting Mounds or crusts (to <1 m/<3 ft)

© E. Weil Yellow, yellow-green or olive (shallow), gray or brown (deep or shade) Small mounds, thick crusts or plates (usually < 1 m/3 ft) © E. Weil Porites astreoides PAST

Polyps are narrow– but tall and look “fuzzy” when expanded. Colony surfaces are usually bumpy. Close-up Porites astreoides PAST © P. Humann

Colpophyllia natans CNAT © A. Bruckner Close-up How different from other brain corals Has narrow “lines” along the top, and midway down the sides, of the ridges. Often bicoloured

Forms largest of brain coral mounds in shallow water. (to ~3 m/10 ft) Colpophyllia natans CNAT © R. Steneck

Colpophyllia natans CNAT © T. Turner Forms massive-plates in low light conditions

How different from other brain corals Distinct groove along middle of ridge–can be deeper and wider than the valleys. © R. McCall Diploria labyrinthiformis DLAB Close-up

Diploria labyrinthiformis DLAB © R. McCall Mounds in shallow water (to >1 m/4 ft)

Diploria strigosa DSTR © L. Benvenuti How different from other brain corals No distinct groove along middle of ridge. Mounds or crusts in shallow water. (to ~ 2 m/6 ft)

Diploria strigosa DSTR Massive-plates in low light conditions © Q. Dokken

How different from other brain corals Narrow ridges Irregular, lumpy crusts in shallow water (to >1 m/4 ft) Diploria clivosa DCLI © R. Steneck

Meandrina meandrites MMEA killing P. astreoides Mounds and massive-plates Very aggressive for a stony coral (to ~1 m/3 ft)

How similar to brains Polyps in meandering ridges and valleys How different Thick septa Heavier skeletons Polyps look bloated when expanded Some colonies form columns or small conical shapes Close-up Meandrina meandrites MMEA © R. McCall

All species Meandroid Raised polyp centers look like stars Small mounds, plates or crusts Mycetophyllia aliciae © P. Dustan Mycetophyllia spp.

Mycetophyllia lamarckiana MLAM + M. danaana MDAM Fleshy polyps Mounds, cones, thick plates (to ~ 1/3 m/12 in)

Mycetophyllia aliciae MALI Thick crusts or plates Ridges much reduced in low light conditions (to ~ 1/2 m/20 in.) © P. Dustan

Mycetophyllia ferox MFER Narrow ridges and valleys Thin crusts or plates (to ~2/3 m/2 ft) © A. Budd

Very fleshy, wide meandroid polyps Narrow line along top of ridges Small mounds (to ~20 cm/8 in) Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN © R. Steneck

How different from Mycetophyllia danaana Fleshier polyps No “stars’ around mouths Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN © D. Fenner

Which is which? Isophyllia sinuosa ISIN M. lamarckiana MLAM

Very fleshy polyps Thin line along ridge tops Small mounds (to <20 cm/8 in) How different Very short, constricted valleys usually only have 1-2 polyps Isophyllastrea rigida IRIG © R. Steneck How similar to Isophyllia sinuosa

Larger, more fleshy polyps Lighter polyp colours More aggressive to other stony corals (to ~15 cm/6 in) Scolymia lacera SLAC © R. Steneck How different from Scolymia cubensis

Tiny, reticulate polyps Form plates, crusts, lumps, and keeled colonies Smallest of the agariciids (to ~ 1 m/3 ft) Agaricia agaricites AAGA plate lump keels

How different from A. agaricites Tiny, reticulate polyps on both sides of thin keels. Agaricia tenuifolia ATEN © R. Steneck

Forms larger colonies (to ~ 4 m/12 ft) Agaricia tenuifolia ATEN © R. Steneck How different from A. agaricites

Thick, dense plates Distinct polyp mouths (to ~ 2 m/6 ft) Agaricia lamarcki ALAM

How different from A. agaricites Thin plates, not reticulate Distinct septa; polyp mouths point towards colony margin (to ~ 2 m/6 ft) Leptoseris (Helioseris) cucullata LCUC Can be confused with A. undata (has smaller, straighter ridges; Humann p. 142)

Examples of branching stony corals Acropora cervicornis Acropora palmata © R. McCall Porites porites © K. Desai © R. McCall Fragment easily; colony boundaries may be indistinct

Porites porites PPOR Fat, stubby branches with blunt tips © R. Steneck

Porites porites PPOR (Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide) Millepora complanata © K. Desai

Porites furcata PFUR Thin, long branches with round tips (Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide) © R. Steneck Porites divaricata PDIV Thin, widely-spaced branches, many Y-shaped at tip (Clumps to ~1/3 m/1ft wide)

Acropora cervicornis ACER © R. Steneck Long, thin round branches (contiguous colonies to ~3m/10 ft)

Acropora palmata APAL © K. Desai Millepora complanata Flattened or thick-rounded branches

Acropora palmata APAL Clumps to >1 m/3ft wide © R. McCall (Continguous colonies to ~4m/12 ft)

Acropora prolifera APRO Intermediate in appearance & is a hybrid between A. palmata and A. cervicornis See Human p. 91

Madracis mirabilis MMIR Close-up Thin, near-parallel branches with blunt tips Often expanded by day. © M. Vermeij

Madracis mirabilis MMIR Dense clumps (Can be many meters/10s of ft wide in sheltered habitats) © R. Steneck

Madracis decactis MDEC Short, stubby knobs or lumpy crusts 10 septa/polyp (to ~15 cm/6 in)

Madracis formosa MFOR How different from M. decactis Upright branches With blunt tops 8-10 septa/polyp (to < 2m/6 ft)

Eusmilia fastigiata EFAS Round to ovoid, stalked poylps (to ~2/3 m/<3 ft) © R. Steneck

Mussa angulosa MANG How similar to E. fastigiata Stalked polyps, only alive at tips How different Polyps are fleshy, larger, round, and opaque in colour Septa have large teeth (to <1 m/3 ft)

Dendrogyra cylindrus DCYL © L. Benvenuti Polyps usually expanded by day Dense columns, (to >3m/10 ft)

Millepora spp. How different from scleractinian stony corals Smooth colony surface has tiny pores with minute, translucent polyps. © R. McCall Millepora alcicornis

Millepora complanata MCOM Box-like keels (to ~2/3 m/<3 ft) © R. Steneck

Millepora alcicornis MALC How different from M. complanata Encrusts substratum and other organisms Small, rounded branches © R. Steneck (to ~1/2 m/<20 in) © R. Steneck