Pavona (Pseudocolumnastrea) bipartita
Nemenzo, 1979
Corallum massive, heavy hemispherical; surface strongly convex, smooth; 3.5 cm high, 4.5 cm x 3.3 cm diameter at base.
Corallites flush with surface except for very slight depression of calicinal fossa.
One side of colony thamnasterioid – very few corallites have incipient walls; corallites wider (up to 2.5 mm across); septa 12-24, their edges entire, their surface densely spinulate making this portion of corallum fuzzy and the loculi narrower; septa of adjoining calices continuous with each other; 4-6 triradiate septa present around each calice.
Other side of colony plocoid; calicular wall thin but very distinct; corallites smaller (1.5-2 mm) because of intervening cellular peritheca. Septa 12-24, edges entire, surface less spinulate so loculi wider and corallite structure appears sharp; those from contiguous calices continuous with each other across peritheca; triradiate septa also present.
Columella a depressed area with a single compressed tubercle usually reaching level of mural rim (seldom absent).
Remarks:
The specimen is cut off from the substratum. The cut surface shows a distinct core of porous coralline rock covered over completely by this coral. The plocoid portion constitutes about a third of the entire living portion; the transition between the thamnasterioid and plocoid areas not sharp but fairly discernible. As similar feature is seen in Van der Horst (1922) (2) plate 31, fig. 7
(Pavona clavus).
Source:
Nemenzo, F. (1979). New species and new records of stony corals from west-central Philippines.
The Philippine Journal of Science. 108 (1-2): 1-25.
Taxonomic status:
Unaccepted
Accepted name:
Pavona bipartita Nemenzo, 1979
Source:
WoRMS Editorial Board. (2024). World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ. Accessed 2024-05-02. doi:10.14284/170
Material:
Plate I, Fig 3-4: SU CRS – 196: Aliguay Island, Dapitan City (Lawton Alcala) 1977 (Depth – 15 feet)
Type specimen location:
Marine Sciences Laboratory, Siliman University, Dumaguete City
