Rough star coral
Isophyllastrea rigida
(Dana, 1846)
Description:
Colonies form small, oval to hemispherical domes of 20 cm in diameter. Surface with fleshy ridges with rough, irregular polygonal valleys. Ridges with a thin line along their tops.
Color:
Ridges commonly brown, occasionally green, pinkish or even purple. The thin line along the ridge tops light colored. Valleys pale to white.
Corallites:
Corallites large, 10-20 mm, containing usually only one or two polyps. Columella weak, trabecular and discontinuous.
Habitat:
Inhabit a wide range of shallow water environments, down to 20 meters.
Distribution:
Common to occasional Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean.