Porites duerdeni, also called thick or knobby finger coral, is a coral in the family Poritidae, representing stoney corals, and is endemic to Hawai'i.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Porites duerdeni is an extremely rare species of colonial reef building finger coral found almost exclusively in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O’ahu.[3] It can be most abundantly found in shallow waters typically ranging from depths of 3–6 ft [4] but can also be found at greater depths that still receive significant sunlight.
Description
Porites duerdeni is a colonial coral and is typically light brown, cream, yellowish, or light green in color with short knub/spherical like branches.[5]Porites duerdeni can be distinctly identified from closely related species by their septa composed of inwardly inclined trabeculae.[4]
Growth
Porites duerdeni growth averages 1–2 cm a year.[6]
Conservation
Porites duerdeni faced severe impacts due to bleaching events in 2015 and 2016, however a small team from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources has been working to curb extinction by planting nursery grown P. duerdeni on the reefs of Kāne‘ohe Bay, O’ahu.[7]Porites duerdeni is much more susceptible to coral bleaching than common and dominate corals found in Hawai'i.[8]
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