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Schmidt-Roach, Miller & Andreakis, 2013
The scientists Drs. Schmidt-Roach, MIller and Andreakis have taken a closer look at the coral Pocillopora damiscornis and have proven on the basis of morphological and genetic studies that Pocillopora damiscornis is not a single coral but a species complex.
In the course of the investigation a new species from the Pocillopora damiscornis complex could be described: Pocillopora aliciae.
The holotype of Pocillopora aliciae is from Black Rock, near Solitary Islands Marine Park, eastern Australia, and was found at a moderate depth of 8 meters.
The paratype is from the same area
(Smoky Cape) and was found at the depth of 12 meters.
The animals settle on rocky reef habitats and were found in a depth range from 2 to 32 meters.
Distribution: From Cape Bryon to Port Stephens, New South Wales.
Etymology. This species was named after SS-R's wife, Alicia, because of her constant support and understanding of him, but also because she is just a wonderful human being.
General:
Taxonomists now consider there to be 18 families of stony corals with a total of over 100 genera.
The two genera Montipora (over 70 species - Veron 2000) and Acropora (over 180 species - Veron 2000) are among the most species-rich and numerous.
The genus Pocillopora includes the following species.
Pocillopora ankeli
Pocillopora capitata
Pocillopora damicornis
Pocillopora effusus
Pocillopora elegans
Pocillopora fungiformis
Pocillopora indiania
Pocillopora inflata
Pocillopora kelleheri
Pocillopora ligulata
Pocillopora meandrina
Pocillopora molokensis
Pocillopora verrucosa
Pocillopora woodjonesi
Pocillopora zelli
The care of small polyped stony corals was and is due to the requirements of the corals on water quality and lighting usually far more complex than that of most LPS corals and zooxanthellate soft corals.
Therefore, it was only with skimming and the use of live rock that the possibility arose to create better water quality and with better lighting and better calcium supply to ensure the permanent keeping and reproduction of stony corals.
Since keeping SPS corals has become an attainable goal for many, zooxanthellate soft corals have hardly been the main focus of most aquarists.
Identification of small-polyped and large-polyped stony corals is not always easy, despite really good works such as Veron's book, Corals of the World, especially since a clear identification should actually be made based on the calcareous skeleton and the THEN.
One should also not forget that many animals in the aquarium do not look like they do in nature and change their appearance due to current, light, as well as other influences.
However, it should be noted that corals of the genus Pocillopora are somewhat in the middle.
They are easier than many Montipora and Acropora, although they should be given the same conditions.
Among the important parameters are:
Light:
All small polyp stony corals of the genus Pocillopora require very high light levels.
Therefore, they should tend to be located at the top of the tank with average lighting.
Heat/Cold:
Corals of the genus Pocillopora will not tolerate water temperatures below 20 degrees or above 30 degrees for extended periods.
Both cases they will acknowledge with bleaching.
Current:
They can tolerate quite a good current, though never have the pump outlet pointed directly at a coral.
Alternating, rather turbulent flow conditions are best suited.
The scientists Drs. Schmidt-Roach, MIller and Andreakis have taken a closer look at the coral Pocillopora damiscornis and have proven on the basis of morphological and genetic studies that Pocillopora damiscornis is not a single coral but a species complex.
In the course of the investigation a new species from the Pocillopora damiscornis complex could be described: Pocillopora aliciae.
The holotype of Pocillopora aliciae is from Black Rock, near Solitary Islands Marine Park, eastern Australia, and was found at a moderate depth of 8 meters.
The paratype is from the same area
(Smoky Cape) and was found at the depth of 12 meters.
The animals settle on rocky reef habitats and were found in a depth range from 2 to 32 meters.
Distribution: From Cape Bryon to Port Stephens, New South Wales.
Etymology. This species was named after SS-R's wife, Alicia, because of her constant support and understanding of him, but also because she is just a wonderful human being.
General:
Taxonomists now consider there to be 18 families of stony corals with a total of over 100 genera.
The two genera Montipora (over 70 species - Veron 2000) and Acropora (over 180 species - Veron 2000) are among the most species-rich and numerous.
The genus Pocillopora includes the following species.
Pocillopora ankeli
Pocillopora capitata
Pocillopora damicornis
Pocillopora effusus
Pocillopora elegans
Pocillopora fungiformis
Pocillopora indiania
Pocillopora inflata
Pocillopora kelleheri
Pocillopora ligulata
Pocillopora meandrina
Pocillopora molokensis
Pocillopora verrucosa
Pocillopora woodjonesi
Pocillopora zelli
The care of small polyped stony corals was and is due to the requirements of the corals on water quality and lighting usually far more complex than that of most LPS corals and zooxanthellate soft corals.
Therefore, it was only with skimming and the use of live rock that the possibility arose to create better water quality and with better lighting and better calcium supply to ensure the permanent keeping and reproduction of stony corals.
Since keeping SPS corals has become an attainable goal for many, zooxanthellate soft corals have hardly been the main focus of most aquarists.
Identification of small-polyped and large-polyped stony corals is not always easy, despite really good works such as Veron's book, Corals of the World, especially since a clear identification should actually be made based on the calcareous skeleton and the THEN.
One should also not forget that many animals in the aquarium do not look like they do in nature and change their appearance due to current, light, as well as other influences.
However, it should be noted that corals of the genus Pocillopora are somewhat in the middle.
They are easier than many Montipora and Acropora, although they should be given the same conditions.
Among the important parameters are:
Light:
All small polyp stony corals of the genus Pocillopora require very high light levels.
Therefore, they should tend to be located at the top of the tank with average lighting.
Heat/Cold:
Corals of the genus Pocillopora will not tolerate water temperatures below 20 degrees or above 30 degrees for extended periods.
Both cases they will acknowledge with bleaching.
Current:
They can tolerate quite a good current, though never have the pump outlet pointed directly at a coral.
Alternating, rather turbulent flow conditions are best suited.
