Coral Genius Colony Formation

The way that individucal polyps bud, connect, and share sheletal walls directly shapes their appearance and often influences their overall growth form, making it an imporant aspect of coral identifcation. Many coral genera that look similar at first glance can only be distinguished by understanding how their polyps are arranged. Polyp colony formation also plays a role in explaining how different corals interact with their environment, resist wave energy, capture light for photosynthesis, and respond to stress. For reef monitoring and conservation efforts, understanding the way polyps arrange themselves provides insight into how different coral species grow and survive on the reef.

Solitary Attached - A large single polyp with distinct walls that is attached to a substrate.

Solitary Unattached - A large single polyp with distinct walls that is not attached to a substrate.

Plocoid - A colony of polyps with distinct walls.

Phaceloid - A colony of polyps with distinct walls that grow in tubular or tree-like patterns.

Cerioid - A colony of polyps with shared walls

Thamnasteroid - A colony of polyps which have indistinct septa that flow between them creating complex patterns.

Meandroid - A colony of polyps that are arranged in valleys between meandering ridges with shared walls.

Flabellate - A colony of polyps that are arranged in valleys between ridges with unshared walls.

Hydnophoroid - A colony of polyps with a clearly defined raised surface texture.