Poritidae

{{Short description|Family of corals}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Porities.jpg | image_caption = ''Porities sp.'' | taxon = Poritidae | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = {{center|See text}} }}

'''Poritidae''' is a family of stony corals.<ref name=WoRMS>{{cite WoRMS |author=WoRMS |year=2018 |title=Poritidae; Gray, 1847 |id=196105 |accessdate=2018-08-21}}</ref> 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.<ref name=WoRMS/><ref>Veron, J. E. N. (1985). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.</ref>

==Genera== The World Register of Marine Species includes the following genera in the family:<ref name=WoRMS/><ref>[http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Poritidae.htm Poritid Corals, Family Poritidae] WetWebMedia.com. Retrieved 2011-12-18.</ref> * ''Bernardpora''<small> Kitano & Fukami, 2014</small> * ''Goniopora''<small> de Blainville, 1830</small> - 29 species. The polyps have 24 tentacles. * ''Porites'' - 77 species. * ''Stylaraea'' - Monotypic. The only species is ''Stylaraea punctata''.

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Poritidae Category:Scleractinia Category:Cnidaria families