WoRMS taxon details

Acanthastrea Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848

206405  (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:206405)

accepted
Genus
Acanthastraea Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 · unaccepted > misspelling

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  1. Species Acanthastrea brevis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849
  2. Species Acanthastrea echinata (Dana, 1846)
  3. Species Acanthastrea hemprichii (Ehrenberg, 1834)
  4. Species Acanthastrea minuta Moll & Best, 1984
  5. Species Acanthastrea pachysepta (Chevalier, 1975)
  6. Species Acanthastrea rotundoflora Chevalier, 1975
  7. Species Acanthastrea subechinata Veron, 2000
  8. Species Acanthastrea amakusensis Veron, 1990 accepted as Micromussa amakusensis (Veron, 1990) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  9. Species Acanthastrea angulosa Brüggemann, 1879 accepted as Homophyllia bowerbanki (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  10. Species Acanthastrea bowerbanki Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 accepted as Homophyllia bowerbanki (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  11. Species Acanthastrea braziliensis Verrill, 1868 accepted as Mussismilia braziliensis (Verrill, 1868) (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  12. Species Acanthastrea erythraea (Klunzinger, 1879) accepted as Lobophyllia erythraea (Klunzinger, 1879) (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  13. Species Acanthastrea faviaformis Veron, 2000 accepted as Dipsastraea faviaformis (Veron, 2000) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  14. Species Acanthastrea grandis Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849 accepted as Acanthastrea echinata (Dana, 1846) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  15. Species Acanthastrea hillae Wells, 1955 accepted as Homophyllia bowerbanki (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  16. Species Acanthastrea hirsuta Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857 accepted as Acanthastrea echinata (Dana, 1846) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  17. Species Acanthastrea ishigakiensis Veron, 1990 accepted as Lobophyllia ishigakiensis (Veron, 1990) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  18. Species Acanthastrea lordhowensis Veron & Pichon, 1982 accepted as Micromussa lordhowensis (Veron & Pichon, 1982) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  19. Species Acanthastrea maxima Sheppard & Salm, 1988 accepted as Sclerophyllia maxima (Sheppard & Salm, 1988) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  20. Species Acanthastrea patula (Dana, 1846) accepted as Diploastrea heliopora (Lamarck, 1816) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  21. Species Acanthastrea regularis Veron, 2000 accepted as Micromussa regularis (Veron, 2000) (unaccepted > superseded combination, basionym)
  22. Species Acanthastrea simplex (Crossland, 1948) accepted as Lobophyllia simplex (Crossland, 1948) (unaccepted > superseded combination)
  23. Species Acanthastrea spinosa Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848 accepted as Acanthastrea echinata (Dana, 1846) (unaccepted > junior subjective synonym)
  24. Species Acanthastrea dipsacea (Lamarck, 1816) (uncertain > taxon inquirendum)
  25. Species Acanthastrea irregularis Quelch, 1886 (uncertain > taxon inquirendum)
marine, fresh, terrestrial
Milne Edwards, H.; Haime, J. (1848). Note sur la classification de la deuxième tribu de la famille des Astréides. <em>Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences, Paris.</em> 27: 490–497., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.29692 [details]   
Description 'Se sépare de toutes les autres Astrées par ses cloisons très-échinulées dont les épines les plus fortes sont les...  
Description 'Se sépare de toutes les autres Astrées par ses cloisons très-échinulées dont les épines les plus fortes sont les plus extérieures.' (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848a, vol. 27: 495) [details]

Description Colonies are massive, usually flat. Corallites are cerioid or subplocoid, monocentric, either circular or angular in shape....  
Description Colonies are massive, usually flat. Corallites are cerioid or subplocoid, monocentric, either circular or angular in shape. Septo-costae are thick near the corallite wall, becoming thin near the columella, and have tall mussid teeth. Polyps are thick-walled and are extended only at night. (Veron, 1986 <57>) [details]
Hoeksema, B. W.; Cairns, S. (2024). World List of Scleractinia. Acanthastrea Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=206405 on 2024-03-19
Date
action
by
1997-02-03 14:17:27Z
created
2000-07-18 15:57:33Z
changed
2006-09-04 06:53:11Z
changed
Martinez, Olga
2013-09-02 17:11:15Z
changed
2019-10-08 20:42:32Z
changed

Creative Commons License The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License


original description Milne Edwards, H.; Haime, J. (1848). Note sur la classification de la deuxième tribu de la famille des Astréides. <em>Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences, Paris.</em> 27: 490–497., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.29692 [details]   

basis of record Veron JEN. (1986). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. <em>Angus & Robertson Publishers.</em>  [details]   

additional source Veron JEN, Pichon M. (1980). Scleractinia of Eastern Australia – Part III. Family Agariciidae, Siderastreidae, Fungiidae, Oculinidae, Merulinidae, Mussidae, Pectinidae, Caryophyllidae, Dendrophylliidae. <em>Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series.</em> 4: 1-459. [details]   

additional source Veron JEN. (2000). Corals of the World. Vol. 1–3. <em>Australian Institute of Marine Science and CRR, Queensland, Australia.</em>  [details]   

additional source Budd AF, Fukami H, Smith ND, Knowlton N. (2012). Taxonomic classification of the reef coral family Mussidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia). <em>Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.</em> 166 (3): 465-529., available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00855.x [details]   

additional source Arrigoni R, Terraneo TI, Galli P, Benzoni F (2014) Lobophylliidae (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) reshuffled: Pervasive . non-monophyly at genus level. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 73: 60-64.  [details]   

additional source Huang D, Arrigoni R, Benzoni F, Fukami H, Knowlton N, Smith ND, Stolarski J, Chou LM, Budd AF. (2016). Taxonomic classification of the reef coral family Lobophylliidae (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia). <em>Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.</em> 178(3): 436-481., available online at https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12391 [details]   

additional source Veron, J. E. N.; Pichon, M. (1979). Scleractinia of Eastern Australia, part III: Families Agariciidae, Siderastreidae, Fungiidae, Oculinidae, Merulinidae, Mussidae, Pectiniidae, Caryophylliidae, Dendrophylliidae. Australian Government Publishing Service. Canberra., volume 4, pp. 422.
page(s): 7, 264-266 [details]   

additional source Neave, Sheffield Airey. (1939-1996). Nomenclator Zoologicus vol. 1-10 Online. <em>[Online Nomenclator Zoologicus at Checklistbank. Ubio link has gone].</em> , available online at https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/126539/about [details]   
 
 Present  Inaccurate  Introduced: alien  Containing type locality 
   

From editor or global species database
Comparison The genus forms a paraphyly on the morphological phylogeny. On the molecular tree, Acanthastrea possesses several symplesiomorphies, including extracalicular budding, discrete corallites, columellae < 1/4 of calice width, reduced epitheca, parallel tooth tip at midcalice, strong costa centre clusters, weak costa medial lines, > 0.5 mm between septum centre clusters. These traits distinguish Acanthastrea from its sister clade of Echinophyllia + Oxypora. Excluding A. pachysepta, the genus is moderately supported on the morphology tree (bootstrap support of 68), with limited/moderate coenosteum amount and strong septum centre clusters as synapomorphies. Several characters separate Acanthastrea from taxa previously associated with the genus that are in subclades A (Micromussa), B (Homophyllia), C (Sclerophyllia) and I (Lobophyllia), including septa spacing, epitheca and endotheca development, number of teeth per septum, S1/S3 tooth shape and wall/septum tooth size. Acanthastrea has historically been confused with the merulinid genus Favites Link, 1807: 162, as they are superficially alike and the inner edge of the septum possesses similar teeth (Chevalier, 1975). When Matthai (1914) synonymised Favites with Favia Oken, 1815: 67, the Acanthastrea species (i.e. F. hirsuta and F. hemprichii) were also transferred into Favia, though these actions were almost immediately reversed as Vaughan (1918) revived both Favites and Acanthastrea. The latter is easily distinguished from Favites by its sparser septa (three cycles; 24–36 septa; < six septa per 5 mm), lamellar linkage between columellae, absence of paliform lobes, reduced epitheca and endotheca, less numerous septal teeth that are parallel to the septa at midcalice, smooth interarea, thickening deposits in concentric rings with extensive stereome, wider separation between centre clusters, and the lack of transverse crosses. [details]

Description 'Se sépare de toutes les autres Astrées par ses cloisons très-échinulées dont les épines les plus fortes sont les plus extérieures.' (Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848a, vol. 27: 495) [details]

Diagnosis Colonial; submassive or massive. Budding intracalicular and extracalicular. Corallites monomorphic; mainly discrete. Monticules absent. Coenosteum spinose; limited (includes double wall), moderate (< corallite diameter) amount, or colonies may be phaceloid or partly flabello-meandroid. Calice width medium to large (≥ 4 mm), with medium to high relief (≥ 3 mm). Costosepta mostly confluent. Septa in three cycles (24–36 septa). Free septa irregular. Septa spaced < six septa per 5 mm. Costosepta unequal in relative thickness. Columellae trabecular and spongy (> three threads), < 1/4 of calice width, and discontinuous among adjacent corallites with lamellar linkage. Internal lobes usually absent. Epitheca reduced. Endotheca low-moderate (tabular). Tooth base at midcalice elliptical-parallel. Tooth tip orientation parallel. Tooth height usually medium (0.3–0.6 mm). Tooth spacing medium to wide (≥ 0.3 mm), with ≤ six teeth per septum. Tooth shape unequal between first and third order septa. Tooth size equal between wall and septum. Granules scattered on septal face; weak (rounded). Interarea smooth. Walls formed by dominant paratheca and partial septotheca. Thickening deposits in concentric rings with extensive stereome. Costa centre clusters strong; > 0.6 mm between clusters; medial lines weak. Septum centre clusters may be strong; > 0.5 mm between clusters; medial lines weak. 999 [details]

Remark The genus was first described to contain four monocentric species (i.e. 'Astrées'; Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848a, vol. 27: 495) that have especially spinose wall septa—Acanthastrea hirsuta Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849b, vol. 12: 145, Acanthastrea spinosa Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848a, vol. 27: 495, Acanthastrea brevis Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849b, vol. 12: 146, and Acanthastrea grandis Milne Edwards and Haime, 1849b, vol. 12: 146. These species have been synonymised as Acanthastrea echinata (Dana, 1846: 229) (Chevalier, 1975; Veron and Pichon, 1980). It should be noted that the A. spinosa specimen used by Milne Edwards and Haime, 1848a, vol 27: 495, to establish the genus (MNHN IK-2010-599) should still be considered the type of Acanthastrea. By the time of Veron (2000), 12 Acanthastrea species were recognised as valid, including five described by Veron (1990, 2000) and Veron and Pichon (1982). Molecular phylogenetic analyses by Fukami et al. (2008) then showed that the genus was polyphyletic, with representatives in clades XVIII, clustering with Micromussa amakusensis (Veron, 1990: 137), and XX (sensu Fukami et al., 2008). Kitahara et al. (2010) obtained a similar result, but extensive sampling by Arrigoni et al. (2014c) further showed that Acanthastrea is distributed among four major subclades (B, C, E and I, sensu Arrigoni et al., 2014c). Arrigoni et al. (2015) then swiftly moved A. maxima Sheppard and Salm, 1988: 276, into the revived Sclerophyllia Klunzinger, 1879: 4. Finally, Arrigoni et al. (2016a) synonymised A. hillae Wells, 1955, under A. bowerbanki Milne Edwards and Haime, 1857, and moved the species into Homophyllia. Acanthastrea lordhowensis Veron and Pichon, 1982, was also transferred into Micromussa, while Micromussa minuta (Moll and Best, 1984) was moved into Acanthastrea based on detailed examination of the holotype (Arrigoni et al., 2016a). Our molecular and morphological trees support these changes, and also the further transfers of Acanthastrea ishigakiensis Veron, 1990: 132, into Lobophyllia, and Acanthastrea regularis Veron, 2000, vol. 3: 16, into Micromussa. Arrigoni et al. (2014c) suggested that A. faviaformis Veron, 2000, vol. 3: 24, should be transferred into the merulinid genus Dipsastraea de Blainville, 1830, and our examination of the lectotype (designated herein) shows that its macromorphological characters are scored identically with Dipsastraea spp. (Appendix S2). Here we formally carry out the genus reassignment—Dipsastraea faviaformis (Veron, 2000), new combination. The molecular phylogeny here groups Lobophyllia pachysepta Chevalier, 1975: 269, and the remaining Acanthastrea species together in subclade E, although they form a paraphyly on the morphological phylogeny owing to the disparately large corallites and phaceloid/flabello-meandroid colonies of L. pachysepta. Based on the molecular tree and subcorallite characters that are nearly identical between this rogue species and Acanthastrea—differing only in tooth spacing and distinctiveness of septum centre clusters—we move L. pachysepta into the present genus. The resulting classification thus comprises seven Acanthastrea species. Acanthastrea is widely distributed on the reefs of Indo-Pacific, present from the Red Sea and East Africa to as far east as the Marshall Islands in the Northern Hemisphere (Veron, 2000) and Gambier Islands in the Southern Hemisphere (Glynn et al., 2007). [details]

From other sources
Description Colonies are massive, usually flat. Corallites are cerioid or subplocoid, monocentric, either circular or angular in shape. Septo-costae are thick near the corallite wall, becoming thin near the columella, and have tall mussid teeth. Polyps are thick-walled and are extended only at night. (Veron, 1986 <57>) [details]

Remark Type species: Acanthastrea spinosa Edwards & Haime, 1848 = Astrea echinata Dana, 1846 from Tonga (Veron, 1986). [details]
LanguageName 
English starry cup coralpineapple coralFaviaartichoke coral  [details]
Japanese オオトゲキクメイシ属  [details]