Thick finger coral

Porites duerdeni, also called thick or knobby finger coral, is a coral in the family Poritidae, representing stoney corals, and is endemic to Hawai'i.[2]

Thick finger coral
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Poritidae
Genus: Porites
Species:
P. duerdeni
Binomial name
Porites duerdeni

Distribution and habitat

Porites duerdeni is an extremely rare species of colonial reef building finger coral found almost exclusively in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O’ahu.[3] It can be most abundantly found in shallow waters typically ranging from depths of 3–6 ft [4] but can also be found at greater depths that still receive significant sunlight.

Description

Porites duerdeni is a colonial coral and is typically light brown, cream, yellowish, or light green in color with short knub/spherical like branches.[5] Porites duerdeni can be distinctly identified from closely related species by their septa composed of inwardly inclined trabeculae.[4]

Growth

Porites duerdeni growth averages 1–2 cm a year.[6]

Conservation

Porites duerdeni faced severe impacts due to bleaching events in 2015 and 2016, however a small team from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources has been working to curb extinction by planting nursery grown P. duerdeni on the reefs of Kāne‘ohe Bay, O’ahu.[7] Porites duerdeni is much more susceptible to coral bleaching than common and dominate corals found in Hawai'i.[8]

References
  1. van der Land, Jacob (2013). "Porites duerdeni Vaughan, 1907". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  2. "Knobby Finger Coral, Porites duerdeni". www.marinelifephotography.com. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  3. "Marine Invertebrates - All Stoney Corals" (PDF). dlnr.hawaii.gov. October 1, 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  4. Vaughan, Thomas Wayland (1907). "Recent Madreporaria of the Hawaiian Islands and Laysan". Bulletin of the United States National Museum (59): i–427. doi:10.5479/si.03629236.59.i. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  5. Fenner, Douglas (2005). Corals of Hawai'i: field guide to the hard, black, and soft corals of Hawai'i and the northwest Hawaiian Islands, including Midway. Honolulu, Hawai'i: Mutual Pub. ISBN 1-56647-673-9. OCLC 60814867. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  6. "Hawai'i Coral Restoration Nursery". dlnr.hawaii.gov. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  7. "Rare Corals Planted During Coralpalooza". Maui Now. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  8. Morgan, Winston; Couch, Courtney S.; Brittany, Huntington; Vargas-Ángel, Bernardo; Suka, Rhonda R.; Thomas, Oliver; Ariel, Halperin; Gray, Andrew Elisha; Kaylyn, McCoy; Mollie, Asbury; Hannah, Barkley; Gove, Jamison M.; Nikki, Smith; Lindsey, Kramer; Julia, Rose (2020). "Preliminary Results of Patterns of 2019 Thermal Stress and Coral Bleaching Across the Hawaiian Archipelago". Series: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center administrative report H; 20-04. doi:10.25923/8pqg-tq06. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
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