Pavona duerdeni | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Cnidaria |
Class: | Hexacorallia |
Order: | Scleractinia |
Family: | Agariciidae |
Genus: | Pavona |
Species: | P. duerdeni
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Binomial name | |
Pavona duerdeni Sheppard, C.R.C., 1987
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Pavona duerdeni, the porkchop coral, is a coral that forms clusters of cream-colored lobes or discs.[1] They grow in large colonies, divided into ridges or hillocks. The coral is considered to be uncommon due to its low confirmed abundance, yet they are more commonly found in Hawaii, the Indo-Pacific, and the Tropical Eastern Pacific. They make up some of the largest colonies of corals, and have a slow growth rate, as indicated by their dense skeletons. Their smooth appearance is due to their small corallites growing on their surface.[2]