Poritidae

Poritidae is a family of stony corals. Members of the family are colonial hermatypic (reef-building) corals. They are variable in size and form but most are massive, laminar or ramose as well as branching and encrusting. The corallites are compact with very little coenosteum covering the skeleton. The walls of the corallites and the septa are porous. J.E.N. Veron considers the family is not a natural grouping but is a miscellaneous collection of genera that do not fit well elsewhere.

thumb|In intertidal reef-flat environments, massive Porites form characteristic microatoll formations, with living tissues around the perimeter, and dead skeleton on the exposed upper surface. Microatoll growth is predominantly lateral, as vertical growth is limited by a lack of accommodation space. thumb|right|Small colony of Porites porites

thumb|A variety of Goniopora sp.

species of cnidarian

species of stony coral

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian

species of cnidarian