Revision and catalogue of worldwide staghorn corals acropora and isopora (scleractinia: Acroporidae) in the museum of tropical Queensland

Abstract

Species of the reef-building coral genera Acropora and Isopora are reviewed and their synonymies, descriptions and distributions updated, following previous revisions in 1999 (Acropora) and 2007 (Isopora). A catalogue is given of all specimens of these genera in the Worldwide Staghorn Coral Collection in the Museum of Tropical Queensland, Australia, providing geographic records from present-day Indo-Pacific and Atlantic species. The collection includes primary types of 61 species, numerous secondary types, topotypes and fragments of types donated by other museums and specimens represented in more than 59 publications during a period of intense coral research in late 20th and early 21st centuries. One new species, Acropora arafura, is described from Northern Australia and species newly added to the collection since 1999 are included.