Identification Features | There are three species found in Bermuda that are difficult to separate
using underwater footage. Madracis decactis (Lyman, 1859) colonies
comprise small clumps (~10‒15 cm long) of short, flattened branches
or blunt, rounded lobes giving them a nodular or knobbly appearance,
respectively. Usually green to yellow-brown colour. Madracis formosa
Wells, 1973 colonies are thicker and more densely packed compared
to M. decactis, and occasionally have double-lobed tips. Madracis
auretenra Locke, Weil & Coates, 2007 forms dense clumps, comprising
pencil-sized, bluntly-tipped branches. Colonies can be up to 1 m long
and have a bright yellow colour. Several of the Madracis specimens
encountered in this survey looked damaged, possibly a result of
bleaching. |