Montastraea

Great star coral
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Montastraeidae
Yabe & Sugiyama, 1941
Genus: Montastraea
Blainville, 1830
Species:
M. cavernosa
Binomial name
Montastraea cavernosa
(Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms
List

(Genus)

  • Montastrea Vaughan & Wells, 1943 [lapsus]
  • Phyllocoenia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848

(Species)

  • Astraea radiata (Ellis & Solander, 1786)
  • Madrepora cavernosa Linnaeus, 1767
  • Madrepora radiata Ellis & Solander, 1786
  • Montastraea brasiliana (Verrill, 1901) [lapsus]
  • Montastrea braziliana (Verrill, 1901)
  • Montastrea cavernosa (Linnaeus, 1767) [lapsus]
  • Orbicella braziliana Verrill, 1901
  • Orbicella cavernosa (Linnaeus, 1767)
  • Orbicella radiata (Ellis & Solander, 1786)

Montastraea is a genus of colonial stony coral found in the Caribbean seas. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Montastraeidae and contains a single species, Montastraea cavernosa, known as great star coral. It forms into massive boulders and sometimes develops into plates. Its polyps are the size of a human thumb and fully extend at night.[2]

  1. ^ Aronson, R.; Bruckner, A.; Moore, J.; Precht, B.; E. Weil. (2008). "Montastraea cavernosa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T133237A3646174. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T133237A3646174.en. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Common Corals of Florida". Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-29.