ResearchGate
Info
Big changes are on the horizon for acropora!
The more precise existing and sophisticated investigation methods become and the more new methods of identification are used, the greater and more astonishing the results.
We have translated the original summary of the article “The tables have turned: taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of
the Acropora hyacinthus (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) complex” 1:1 into German, which illustrates the changes that we will also implement in the Sea Water Encyclopedia:
"Genomic data have revealed that traditional coral taxonomy based on skeletal morphology does not accurately reflect the true diversity of, or systematic relationships within, the order Scleractinia. Here, we apply an integrated taxonomic approach combining molecular analysis and morphological comparison of type material with specimens collected from across the Indo-Pacific to revise the taxonomy of a clade within the species-rich and ecologically dominant reef coral genus Acropora, which includes the species Acropora hyacinthus (Dana, 1846) and related species (termed the ‘hyacinthus species complex’). Using a collection of specimens comprising preserved tissues, field images and skeletal vouchers collected from 22 regions spanning the Indian and Pacific Oceans, we generated a phylogenomic reconstruction using targeted capture of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and exons, combined with examination of morphological characters, to generate primary species hypotheses (PSHs) for the clade. We then tested PSHs by calling Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) from the genomic dataset to provide additional lines of evidence to support the delineation of species within the clade and revise the taxonomy of the group. Our integrated approach recovered 16 lineages sufficiently delineated to be designated as distinct species. Based on comparison of our specimens to type material and geographical distributions, we remove nine species from synonymy: A. turbinata (Verrrill, 1864), A. surculosa (Dana, 1846), A. patella (Studer, 1878), A. flabelliformis (Milne-Edwards, 1860), A. conferta (Quelch, 1886), A pectinata (Brook, 1892), A. recumbens (Brook, 1892), A. sinensis (Brook, 1893) and A. bifurcata Nemenzo, 1971.
We also describe five new species: A. harriottae sp. nov. from south-eastern Australia, A. tersa sp. nov. from eastern Australia and the Western Pacific, A. nyinggulu sp. nov. from the eastern Indian Ocean, Indo-Australian Archipelago and southern Japan, A. uogi sp. nov. from the western Pacific and A. kalindae sp. nov. from north-eastern Australia. Our data reveal that the species richness within this clade of Acropora is far greater than currently assumed due to both overlooked provincialism across the Indo-Pacific as well as lumping of distinct sympatric species based on superficial morphological similarity. Given the key ecological role tabular Acropora play on Indo-Pacific reefs our findings have significant implications for reef conservation and management, for example, A. harriottae sp. nov. is restricted to a small geographical region of south-eastern Australia and is therefore at comparatively high risk of extinction."
Here is the entry for Acropora uogi:
Acropora uogi has currently been found in Guam, Pohnpei, Yap, Palau, and Wake Island.
Type locality: Pago Bay, Guam, Micronesia, behind the University of Guam Marine Laboratory.
Description:
Acropora uogi forms robust colonies on the upper reef slopes and reef edges sloping towards the sea, as well as on flat reef platforms with good water circulation.
The morphology of the holotype colony (DB-GU-0431) is corymbose, its color is a dusty pink.
Variations were noted in paratypes G84925 and G79945:
Both paratypes have similar characteristics; radial corallites are lip-shaped with widened lips, radial corallites at an angle of almost 90° to the terminal branch.
The colonies are crust-like; cream-colored with white terminal branch tips, which can also be seen at the edge of the holotype (DB-GU-0431).
A single directional tentacle is extended during the day and clearly visible in the field photographs.
Etymology
The species name “uogi” was named after the University of Guam (UoG) Marine Laboratory in recognition of its enormous contributions to supporting
marine research, conservation, and marine management in Micronesia since its founding in 1970.
Literature reference:
Rassmussen SH et al. (2025)
The tables have turned: taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of the Acropora hyacinthus (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) complex.
Invertebrate Systematics 39, IS24049. doi:10.1071/IS24049
© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY)
The more precise existing and sophisticated investigation methods become and the more new methods of identification are used, the greater and more astonishing the results.
We have translated the original summary of the article “The tables have turned: taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of
the Acropora hyacinthus (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) complex” 1:1 into German, which illustrates the changes that we will also implement in the Sea Water Encyclopedia:
"Genomic data have revealed that traditional coral taxonomy based on skeletal morphology does not accurately reflect the true diversity of, or systematic relationships within, the order Scleractinia. Here, we apply an integrated taxonomic approach combining molecular analysis and morphological comparison of type material with specimens collected from across the Indo-Pacific to revise the taxonomy of a clade within the species-rich and ecologically dominant reef coral genus Acropora, which includes the species Acropora hyacinthus (Dana, 1846) and related species (termed the ‘hyacinthus species complex’). Using a collection of specimens comprising preserved tissues, field images and skeletal vouchers collected from 22 regions spanning the Indian and Pacific Oceans, we generated a phylogenomic reconstruction using targeted capture of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and exons, combined with examination of morphological characters, to generate primary species hypotheses (PSHs) for the clade. We then tested PSHs by calling Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs) from the genomic dataset to provide additional lines of evidence to support the delineation of species within the clade and revise the taxonomy of the group. Our integrated approach recovered 16 lineages sufficiently delineated to be designated as distinct species. Based on comparison of our specimens to type material and geographical distributions, we remove nine species from synonymy: A. turbinata (Verrrill, 1864), A. surculosa (Dana, 1846), A. patella (Studer, 1878), A. flabelliformis (Milne-Edwards, 1860), A. conferta (Quelch, 1886), A pectinata (Brook, 1892), A. recumbens (Brook, 1892), A. sinensis (Brook, 1893) and A. bifurcata Nemenzo, 1971.
We also describe five new species: A. harriottae sp. nov. from south-eastern Australia, A. tersa sp. nov. from eastern Australia and the Western Pacific, A. nyinggulu sp. nov. from the eastern Indian Ocean, Indo-Australian Archipelago and southern Japan, A. uogi sp. nov. from the western Pacific and A. kalindae sp. nov. from north-eastern Australia. Our data reveal that the species richness within this clade of Acropora is far greater than currently assumed due to both overlooked provincialism across the Indo-Pacific as well as lumping of distinct sympatric species based on superficial morphological similarity. Given the key ecological role tabular Acropora play on Indo-Pacific reefs our findings have significant implications for reef conservation and management, for example, A. harriottae sp. nov. is restricted to a small geographical region of south-eastern Australia and is therefore at comparatively high risk of extinction."
Here is the entry for Acropora uogi:
Acropora uogi has currently been found in Guam, Pohnpei, Yap, Palau, and Wake Island.
Type locality: Pago Bay, Guam, Micronesia, behind the University of Guam Marine Laboratory.
Description:
Acropora uogi forms robust colonies on the upper reef slopes and reef edges sloping towards the sea, as well as on flat reef platforms with good water circulation.
The morphology of the holotype colony (DB-GU-0431) is corymbose, its color is a dusty pink.
Variations were noted in paratypes G84925 and G79945:
Both paratypes have similar characteristics; radial corallites are lip-shaped with widened lips, radial corallites at an angle of almost 90° to the terminal branch.
The colonies are crust-like; cream-colored with white terminal branch tips, which can also be seen at the edge of the holotype (DB-GU-0431).
A single directional tentacle is extended during the day and clearly visible in the field photographs.
Etymology
The species name “uogi” was named after the University of Guam (UoG) Marine Laboratory in recognition of its enormous contributions to supporting
marine research, conservation, and marine management in Micronesia since its founding in 1970.
Literature reference:
Rassmussen SH et al. (2025)
The tables have turned: taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of the Acropora hyacinthus (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) complex.
Invertebrate Systematics 39, IS24049. doi:10.1071/IS24049
© 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing.
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY)
