A sea of flowerpot coral (Goniopora columna)

This species is found in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, southwest Indian Ocean, northwest Indian Ocean and Arabian/Iranian Gulf, northern Indian Ocean, central Indo-Pacific, north and west Australia, South-east Asia, Japan and East China Sea, eastern Australia, and oceanic West Pacific.

Colonies are short columns, oval in transverse section. Corallites near the tops of columns have fine irregular septa and diffuse columellae. Those on the sides of columns have broad compact columellae.. more