Hard corals of the Darwin region, Northern Territory, Australia

Abstract

A species list of hard corals recorded in subtidal and reef flat habitats of the Darwin region is presented. This is the first published list of the species of corals from the Darwin area, with a total of 125 scleractinian and non-scleractinian calcareous coral species belonging to 17 families and 47 genera, including one hydrozoan and one octocoral. The Faviidae is the family represented by the highest number of genera and species while relatively high numbers of species from the families Acroporidae and Poritidae are also present int he Darwin region. Similar numbers of species are recorded from the reef flat and the subtidal zone. Fewer species, but similar proportions of all major genera, are recorded from each family in Darwin compared with the east and west coasts of Australia.