(Image credit: Tom Davis)

Pocillopora aliciae is at the forefront of the spread of corals down the NSW coast. This branching coral species is distinctive, with a robust horizontal branching form, short sub-branches, rounded branch tips, a pale pink skeleton, and distinctive green polyps.

Size: up to 30cm.

Habitat

Found on protected inshore rocky reefs and in urchin barrens at depths of 2-32m.

Log it

Log if spotted south of Port Stephens.

Related links/info

Pocillopora aliciae is described in:

Schmidt-Roach, Sebastian; Miller, Karen J.; Andreakis, Nikos. Pocillopora aliciae: a new species of scleractinian coral (Scleractinia, Pocilloporidae) from subtropical Eastern Australia. Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 3626, n. 4, p. 576–582, mar. 2013. ISSN 1175-5334

Species names on the Redmap site are based on the Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota or CAAB (http://www.cmar.csiro.au/caab/). This is updated regularly and lists the approved common name, family, species name and more.

Other Redmap species descriptions were based, with permission, on the following resources:

Australian Marine Life: The Plants and Animals of Temperate Waters by G. J. Edgar, Revised Ed. (2008) Reed Books, Melbourne

Fishes of Australia’s Southern Coast, Edited by M. Gomon. D. Bray and R. Kuiter (2008) Reed Books, Melbourne

Find further information and images at FISHES OF AUSTRALIA http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/