Scientists have discovered a new coral reef species from the remote Gambier Islands in French Polynesia.
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The new species Echinophyllia tarae is common in the lagoon of Gambier Islands, its occurrence elsewhere is unknown.Echinophyllia tarae lives in protected reef habitats and was observed between 5 and 20 metres depth. It is a zooxanthellate species which commonly grows on dead coral fragments, which are also covered by crustose coralline algae and fleshy macroalgae.
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It is characterised by large polyps and bright often mottled colourations and it is very plastic in morphology like most hard corals, according to a Pensoft statement.
Patterns of partial death and recovery of the species were often observed and could be due to competition with other benthic invertebrates like the soft-bodied corallimorpharians or zoanthids which can co-occur with this species.
The study was published in the journal Zookeys.