Tiny hexagonal corals (Merulinidae) on the Shores of Singapore

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Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Zoantharia/Hexacorallia > Order Scleractinia > Family Faviidae

Tiny hexagonal corals
awaiting identification *
Family Merulinidae
updated Nov 2019

Where seen? Hard corals with very tiny irregular hexagonal corallites are sometimes seen on our Southern shores.

Features: Colonies seen 10-20cm, sometimes much larger (30-40cm). The colony is generally a smooth boulder shape, but somewhat irregular and not always perfectly spherical. The corallites tiny (less than 1cm) have shared walls and form tiny irregular cells of different shapes and sizes, but generally with about six sides. The result is a rather irregular pattern of hexagons. Colony colours seen include beige, brown and blue.

Some species of corals recorded for Singapore that have these patterns include: Goniastrea, Leptastrea and Platygyra species. It's hard to distinguish them without close examination of small features and they are grouped here by large external features for convenience of display.

Sisters Island, Nov 05

Sisters Island, Nov 11

Sisters Island, Nov 11

Pulau Hantu, Apr 06

*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.

Tiny hexagonal corals on Singapore shores

On wildsingapore flickr