De Blainville, 1830
Goniopora stokesi (2)
Type species: Goniopora pedunculata Quoy and Gaimard, 1833
Total number of species estimated: 10-15
Characteristics: Corals zooxanthellate, massive or columnar, with conspicuously long polyps showing 24 tentacles at their end, which gives them the appearance of flower beds. At their base, the polyps and the immersed, densely packed corallites, from which they extend, are about 5 cm in diameter. Colour predominantly cream, light brown or grey with partly rose, purple, yellow, green or white tentacles.
Ecology: Common on reef slopes in somewhat murky water.
Range: Indo-West Pacific.
Additional remarks: These corals are known to use their long polyps to fence off their substratum against neighbouring competitors for space.
Key references: Veron and Pichon, 1982; Veron, 1986, 2000.