Info
Characters: Colonies are small (usually less than 50 mm across) and hemispherical to encrusting. Corallites have very variable shapes ranging from immersed to conical (plocoid) to tubular (subphaceloid) and may be circular with one mouth, to elongate with many mouths. Encrusting colonies in intertidal habitats may be submeandroid. Spherical colonies with unrestricted growing space commonly develop tubular corallites. Corallites or valleys are seldom more than 5 millimetres across. Whatever the corallite shape, the walls are neatly rounded. Septo-costae are exsert and evenly spaced.
Colour: Usually tan to light orange-brown with pale green tentacles. Walls and calices may have contrasting colours.
Habitat: Intertidal rock pools and shallow reef environments.
Synonymised names:
Astraea fragum (Esper, 1795) (previous combination)
Madrepora fragum Esper, 1795