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Madrepora
Madrepora oculata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Hexacorallia
Order:	Scleractinia
Family:	Oculinidae
Genus:	Madrepora Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
Amphelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849 Amphihelia Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851 Neohelia Moseley, 1881

Madrepora (Spanish, "mother of pores") is a genus of stony corals, often found forming reefs or islands in tropical locations. The names Madrepore and Madreporaria were formerly applied universally to any stony coral of the family Scleractinia. They reproduce in three separate ways, as discovered by the marine zoologist Anne Thynne (1800–1866). It is commonly known as horn coral. A colony is branched with small polyps in cylindrical cups separated by a perforated coenosteum. Terminal polyps bear six tentacles, while lateral polyps bear twelve tentacles. Madrepora is economically important, since it contributes to the formation of coral reefs.

Species

Species include:

• Madrepora arbuscula (Moseley, 1881)
• Madrepora astroites Forskål, 1775
• Madrepora carolina (Pourtalès, 1871)
• Madrepora minutiseptum Cairns & Zibrowius, 1997
• Madrepora oculata Linnaeus, 1758
• Madrepora porcellana (Moseley, 1881)
• †Madrepora trochiformis Pallas, 1766

References

1. "ITIS Standard Report Page: Madrepora". Retrieved 2008-08-27.
2. "On the increase of Madrepores". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 3 (29). London: Taylor and Francis: 449–461. 1859.
3. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Madrepora Linnaeus, 1758".

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