Pavona duerdeni | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Cnidaria |
Class: | Anthozoa |
Order: | Scleractinia |
Family: | Agariciidae |
Genus: | Pavona |
Species: | P. duerdeni |
Binomial name | |
Pavona duerdeni Sheppard, C.R.C., 1987 |
Pavona duerdeni, the porkchop coral, is a coral that forms clusters of cream-colored lobes or discs. They grow in large colonies divided into ridges or hillocks. 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.