Porites porites

(Pallas, 1766)

Thick Finger Coral

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Florida, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean to Venezuela.

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow protected back reef areas and shallow fore-reefs and seen at depths between 3 to 30 feet (1 - 10 m).

General Husbandry: Often seen in captivity as an encrusting coral, however, will form study branches in the wild.

See Porites cylindrica for general husbandry info.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Subclass: Hexacorallia

Order: Scleractinia

Family: Poritidae

Genus: Porites

FYI: In the wild, forms thick short branches that may be curved, bent sideways, or face downwards, and is usually grey, yet sometimes bright blue.