De Blainville, 1830
Alveopora catalai (3)
Type species: Alveopora daedalea (Forskål, 1775)
Total number of species estimated: 5.
Characteristics: Corals zooxanthellate, massive or columnar, with conspicuously long polyps showing 12 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. The skeletons are very porous and hence light-weight. Colour predominantly cream, light brown or grey with partly green, yellow, pink or white tentacles.
Ecology: All species are rare, usually occurring on reef slopes in somewhat murky water.
Range: Indo-West Pacific.
Additional remarks:. Alveopora can be distinguished from Goniopora by the number of tentacles (12 instead of 24) and the more porous skeleton.
Key references: Veron and Pichon, 1982; Veron, 1986, 2000.