Palythoa australiae [Palythoa australiae]

Description

On rocky walls and reef ledges, divers often spot this Palythoa as a low, spreading patch of soft-looking “mat” polyps. Up close, the tiny openings of the polyps give it a textured, peppered appearance, and it can look like the reef is dotted with small, living pores. In good light, the colony’s subtle color variations make it stand out against the surrounding rock.

Where To See Palythoa australiae

No sighting locations recorded yet.

Taxonomy
Phylum Cnidarians
Cnidaria
Class Hexacorallians
Hexacorallia
Order Colonial Anemones
Zoantharia
Family Sphenopidae & Sunburst Corals
Sphenopidae
Genus Pavement Coral
Palythoa
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