Hexacorallia | 
Scleractinia | 
Merulinidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Reef-associated; depth range 0 - 40 m (Ref. 847).  Tropical; 36°N -   30°S, 32°E -   137°W (Ref. 847)			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				Indo-Pacific.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 100.0 cm COLD male/unsexed; (Ref. 269)			
			
			
							
				
				
					
						Colonies form encrusting plates (up to 1 m diameter) which may develop short (10 cm), gnarled, vertical branches, particularly in shallow water.  Corallites are arranged in near parallel rows that meander slightly.  The walls are almost the same width as the corallites. Septa are continuous over walls between adjacent corallites (Ref. 269).  Zooxanthellate (Ref. 19).					
				
				
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Common at shallow to intermediate depths (Ref. 269) in a wide variety of reef environments, especially in lagoons (Ref. 101940).  Zooxanthellae (Ref. 19).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Hermaphroditic (Ref. 113712).  Mature gametes are shed into the coelenteron and spawned through the mouth.  Life cycle:  The zygote develops into a planktonic planula larva.  Metamorphosis begins with early morphogenesis of tentacles, septa and pharynx before larval settlement on the aboral end (Ref. 833).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Hodgson, G. 1998 Corals. p. 101-122. In Carpenter, K.E. and V.H. Niem (eds) FAO species identifidication guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol. 1. Seaweeds, coral, bivalves and gastropods. FAO Rome. (Ref. 269)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
							
			
			
				 | FishSource | 			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
  Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionAbundance   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 24.9 - 29, mean 27.9 (based on 814 cells).			
 
			
			
			
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						High vulnerability (60 of 100).					
				
						
						
			
									
						Price category  					
					
					Unknown.