Order Madreporaria (Noun)
Meaning
Stony corals.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The classification of stony corals into the order Madreporaria has undergone several changes based on molecular phylogenetic studies.
- The reef-building stony corals belong to the order Madreporaria, which includes the majority of coral species found in shallow tropical waters.
- Madreporaria is an order of stony corals that have a rigid polyp that secretes a hard calcium carbonate exoskeleton.
- Some sources consider Madreporaria to be a synonym of Scleractinia, another order of stony corals, but there is ongoing debate about their taxonomic status.
- Stony corals in the order Madreporaria often form symbiotic relationships with zooxanthellae, single-celled algae that provide nutrients through photosynthesis.