A unique coral reef formation discovered on the Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji

A spectacular mound-like reef formation (126 m in circumference, 10 m high) dominated by highly arched and record-size colonies of the unattached mushroom coral Halomitra pileus, along with 17 other species of the family Fungiidae, occurs in 31 m of water on the sedimentary lagoon floor of the Great...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Coral reefs 1997-02, Vol.16 (1), p.51-54
Main Authors: LITTLER, M. M, LITTLER, D. S, BROOKS, B. L, KOVEN, J. F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Fungiidae
Halomitra pileus
Marine
Sea water ecosystems
Synecology
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Summary:A spectacular mound-like reef formation (126 m in circumference, 10 m high) dominated by highly arched and record-size colonies of the unattached mushroom coral Halomitra pileus, along with 17 other species of the family Fungiidae, occurs in 31 m of water on the sedimentary lagoon floor of the Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji. Core samples show radiocarbon dates which indicate that the formation hypothetically began building similar to 4500 y ago, with a calculated mean accretion rate of 2.2 mm times y super(-1). The majority of fossil and living material is contributed by H. pileus colonies between 40-70 cm mean diameter, with some individuals up to 1.5 m in diameter. The size, fungiid diversity, and geological history of the bioherm is unprecedented and represents the first example of a coral reef constructed almost entirely by Fungiidae.
ISSN:0722-4028
1432-0975
DOI:10.1007/s003380050059