Australogyra

Australogyra
File:Australogyra zelli.JPG
File:Australogyra zelli, colonias.JPG
Australogyra zelli from Aureed Island, Australia
Conservation status
Vulnerable Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Subphylum:	Anthozoa
Class:	Hexacorallia
Order:	Scleractinia
Family:	Faviidae
Genus:	Australogyra Veron & Pichon, 1982
Species:	A. zelli
Binomial name
Australogyra zelli (Veron, Pichon & Best, 1977)
Synonyms
Platygyra zelli Veron, Pichon & Best, 1977

Australogyra zelli is a species of stony coral native to the Central Indo-Pacific. It is the only species in the genus Australogyra. They are uncommon corals found in tropical waters to a range of up to 30 m (98 ft) deep. They can occur as branching growths or as hemispherical shapes reaching up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in diameter. Their color ranges from gray-green to a yellowish purple-brown. They are also sometimes known as the branching moon coral or the branching brain coral in the aquarium trade. The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their range includes Australia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, southern China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

See also

• Coral Triangle