Brain Coral

Description:

"This coral gains its common name (Lesser Valley Coral) from the colony's meandering, brain-like pattern of brown walls, separated by grey or green depressions known as 'valleys'. Platygyra daedalea colonies are large, up to a metre or more in diameter, and are typically mound-shaped or plate-like (encrusting). However, there is wide variation in colony shape and form, which, intriguingly, appears unrelated to the species' environment or genetic makeup." ~eol

Habitat:

Spotted at Napoleon Reef, Gulf of Aqaba, South Sinai >>In the Indo-West Pacific, this species is found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, southwest and northwest Indian Ocean and Arabian/Iranian Gulf, Northern Indian Ocean, Central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan and East China Sea, Oceanic West Pacific, Central Pacific. ~eol