A New Northernmost Distribution Record of the Reef Coral <i>Duncanopsammia axifuga</i> at Bird’s Head Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia
Beginer Subhan,
Tries B. Razak,
Dondy Arafat,
Neviaty P. Zamani,
Prehadi,
Dea Fauzia Lestari,
Bert W. Hoeksema
Affiliations
Beginer Subhan
Department of Marine Science and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Tries B. Razak
Department of Marine Science and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Dondy Arafat
Department of Marine Science and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Neviaty P. Zamani
Department of Marine Science and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Prehadi
Coastal and Marine Resource Management Unit of Sorong, Directorate General of Marine Spatial Management, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Sorong 98418, Indonesia
Dea Fauzia Lestari
Department of Marine Science and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Bert W. Hoeksema
Taxonomy, Systematics and Geodiversity Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Duncanopsammia axifuga (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae) is reported for the first time from Indonesia. A population was found in 5-m deep, murky water on a sediment-rich, inshore reef at Bird’s Head Peninsula, West Papua. Some corals were attached to dead coral and others were loose fragments living on sediment. One attached specimen was observed to be damaged as a result of direct contact with an adjacent Goniopora coral. Free-living specimens on sand are more likely able to escape competition for space. These observations may help to better understand the northernmost range limit and the natural environment of D. axifuga, a species that is popular in the international aquarium trade, but has not been studied very well in the field.
