''Stylophora'' g. Milka Stylois a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of colonial

stony corals Scleractinia, also called stony corals or hard corals, are marine animals in the phylum Cnidaria that build themselves a hard skeleton. The individual animals are known as polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral disc in which a mo ...

in the family

Pocilloporidae The Pocilloporidae are a family of stony corals in the order Scleractinia occurring in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Description Pocilloporids are colonial and most species are reef-building. They are very variable in size and shape, some bein ...

. They are commonly known as cat's paw corals or birdsnest corals. They are native to the Red Sea, the Indo-Pacific region and eastwards as far as the

Pitcairn Islands The Pitcairn Islands ( ; Pitkern: '), officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the ...

Characteristics

Members of this genus are branching corals. The finger-like branches vary in width and have blunt tips. The growth forms and colours are variable depending on many factors, including the level of light and the amount of water movement. The colour may be orange, pink, magenta, purple, green or brown.

Species

The following

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

are listed in the

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

(WoRMS): * †'' Stylophora confusa'' Duncan, 1880 * '' Stylophora danae'' Milne Edwards & Haime, 1850 * '' Stylophora erythraea'' Von Marenzeller, 1907 * '' Stylophora flabellata'' Quelch, 1886 * †'' Stylophora gigas'' Hoffmeister, 1945 * †'' Stylophora granulata'' Duncan & Wall, 1865 * '' Stylophora kuehlmanni'' Scheer & Pillai, 1983 * '' Stylophora lobata'' Gardiner, 1898 * '' Stylophora madagascarensis'' Veron, 2000 * '' Stylophora mamillata'' Scheer & Pillai, 1983 * †'' Stylophora minuta'' Duncan, 1868 * '' Stylophora pistillata'' Esper, 1797 * '' Stylophora subseriata'' (Ehrenberg, 1834) * '' Stylophora wellsi'' Scheer, 1964

References

Pocilloporidae Taxa named by August Friedrich Schweigger Scleractinia genera {{scleractinia-stub