De Blainville, 1830
Polyphyllia talpina (6)
Type species: Polyphyllia talpina (Lamarck, 1815).
Total number of species estimated: 2
Characteristics: Corals zooxanthellate, free-living, elongate, polystomatous by additional mouths in a row along central fossa and evenly distributed alongside. Maximum diameter 53 cm. Septal teeth angular, sharp and each covered by vertical row of granulations. Corallum wall perforate. Costae show granulated costal spines (Hoeksema, 1989). Colour cream, light or dark brown.
Ecology: Most common on reef slopes.
Range: Indo- West Pacific.
Additional remarks: In Polyphyllia the secondary stomata are more evenly distributed alongside the central fossa than in Herpolitha.
Key references: Hoeksema, 1989.