Related FAQs: Astrocoeniids, SPS Corals, Stony/True Coral, Coral System Set-Up, Coral System Lighting, Stony Coral Identification, Stony Coral Selection, Coral Placement,  Foods/Feeding/Nutrition, Disease/Health, Propagation, Growing Reef Corals,  Stony Coral Behavior, SPS Identification, SPS Behavior, SPS Compatibility, SPS Selection, SPS Systems, SPS Feeding, SPS Disease, SPS Reproduction, Related Articles: True or Stony Corals, Order Scleractinia, Family Pocilloporidae, Dyed Corals, /The Best Livestock For Your Reef Aquarium:  Family Astrocoeniidae

by Bob Fenner

Genus Madracis Edwards & Haine 1849, Finger, Pencil, Cactus Corals. the only genus of the family found in the Atlantic (also in the Pacific). This genus placed by Veron (2000) in the new family Astrocoeniidae (formerly Pocilloporidae).  

Madracis carmabi (Vermeij et al 2003), Ten Ray Finger Coral. Colonies light orange to tan in color. Branches of bilobed, rounded tips. Small polyp mouths are greenish yellow. To five foot. Small colony here in Roatan 2019.

Madracis dedactis (Lyman 1859), Ten-Ray Star Coral. Tropical West and East Atlantic. Encrusting to bulbish knob colonies to six inches in height. Yellowish to green. Ten rays/septa per corallite. Cozumel pic by Di.F.

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Madracis formosa Wells 1973, Finger or Cactus Coral. Colonies made up of densely packed small thumb-like branches with blunt ends. Appear fuzzy when open. Dull to Green with yellow central corallite color. Bahamas photo and close-up.

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Verticals (Full/Cover Page Sizes Available)

Madracis mirabilis Colonies of dense pencil thin blunt tipped branches. Appears fuzzy when polyps are open. Yellow to creamy in color. Bonaire.

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Madracis pharensis (Heller 1868), Star Coral. Mostly azooxanthellate (usually found inside caves). Tropical West Atlantic. Compact, polygonal colonies. Corallite septa in two, alternating series. Occur in red, pinkish, grey and green colors. Di.F Bonaire pic.

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Genus Paulaustrea Yabe & Sagiyama 1941. One species, P. ramosa. Pacific in shallow, sandy bottoms. A rarity in the ornamental trade, with star-shaped corallites, blunt ending branches. This genus has also been placed by Veron (2000) in the new family Astrocoeniidae.

Palauastrea ramosa Yabe & Sagiyama 1941. Blunt, club-like branches. Cream to light brown in color. Similar in appearance to Porites cylindrica. Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia photo.

Genus Stephanocoenia:

Stephanocoenia mechelinii Blushing Star Coral. Smooth domes and boulders. Calices raised, usually darker than surrounds. Blushing comes from the reaction from being touched, the polyps retracting. Curacao 2015, TiffB Pix.

Verticals (Full/Cover Page Sizes Available)

Genus Stylocoeniella Yabe & Sugiyama 1935: Small encrusting or columnar colonies whose corallites show obvious coenostenum stiles (upright pillars next to corallites). Easily confused w/ Montiporas.

Stylocoeniella armata (Ehrenberg 1834) /COTW: Characters: Colonies are encrusting. Corallites are widely spaced and form excavations in the coenosteum. Septa are in two equal or subequal cycles. Each corallite has a prominent coenosteum style. Colour: Dark or bright red, brown or green. Similar Species: Stylocoeniella guentheri, which has smaller corallites with less prominent coenosteum styles. See also Madracis kirbyi and Poritipora paliformis. Habitat: Shallow reef environments. Abundance: Rare, cryptic.    N. Sulawesi 2005