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Related FAQs: Siderastreids,
SPS Corals, Stony/True Coral,
Coral System Set-Up, Coral
System Lighting, Stony Coral
Identification, Stony Coral Selection,
CoralPlacement, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition,
Disease/Health, Propagation,
Growing Reef Corals, SPS Identification,
SPS Behavior, SPS
Compatibility, SPS Selection,
SPS Systems, SPS Feeding,
SPS Disease, SPS
Reproduction,
Related Articles: True or Stony Corals, Order
Scleractinia,
/The Best Livestock For Your Reef Aquarium:
Corals of the Family
Siderastreidae |
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By Bob Fenner |
Siderastrea siderea, Belize |
Family Siderastreidae, Vaughn & Wells 1943.
Though hard to make out exactly with a live specimen and nothing to magnify
the view, this widespread family's members are unified by characteristics of
their individual polyp skeleton (corallite) structure. These are flush with the
surrounding carbonate mass (coenosteum) by thick septo-costae, with the septa
fused in the middle to form a fan or star-like grouping.
Range:
The six genera of Siderastreids really get around (five are Indo-Pacific, one
Pacific and Atlantic). Found in the Red Sea, eastern African shores over to the
mid-Pacific, Society Islands, along the tropical Eastern Pacific, tropical West
Atlantic, Brazil, and tropical eastern Atlantic coast.
Aquarium use:
Oddly enough, for such common species in the wild, it is rare to find a Siderastreid
offered for sale in the ornamental trade.
Genus Psammacora Dana 1846, Pillar, Cat's Paw Coral.
| Psammacora explanulata Horst 1922. Plate-like or
encrusting colonies whose corallites are regularly distributed and have
meandering septa-costae. N. Sulawesi image. |
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| Psammacora haimeana Milne Edwards & Haime 1851.
Submassive colonies whose corallites are striated at their bottoms. Walls
with steep sides. N. Sulawesi image. |
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Genus Pseudosiderastrea Yabe & Sugiyama 1935.
Monotypic
| Pseudosiderastrea tayami Yabe & Sugiyama 1935.
Dome shaped colonies arise from laminar ones, up to 16 cm. across.
Corallites polygonal, cerioid, 3-6 mm. across. Septa evenly spaced, join
each other at wall. N. Sulawesi (bottom left) and Red Sea images. |
Genus Siderastrea de Blainville 1830. Starlet Coral. Perhaps the most
widespread coral genus. Found most everywhere corals are found around the world.
| Siderastrea radians. Lesser
Starlet Coral. Encrusting plates or irregular domes. Colonies 4-12 inches
in diameter. Corallites small (2-3 mm in diameter). Tropical West Atlantic.
Bonaire pix. |
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| Siderastrea siderea (Ellis & Solander 1786). Pink
Starlet Coral. Encrusting to massive/boulder-like. Corallites small (3-4.5
mm in diameter). Tropical West Atlantic. Bahamas images. |
 
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