Favites


Favites is a genus of stony corals in the family Merulinidae. Members of this genus are native to the Indo-Pacific region and their ranges extend from the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean as far as Japan, the Line Islands and the Tuamotu Islands.

Characteristics

Colonies can be encrusting but are usually massive and dome-shaped. The corallites are mostly cerioid, but some are plocoid and the palliform lobes are indistinct, which distinguishes these corals from the otherwise similar Goniastrea.

Species

The following species are currently recognized by the World [Register of Marine Species] :
Fossils of Favites are found in marine strata from the Jurassic to the Quaternary. Fossils are known from many localities in Europe, Indonesia, Philippines, Africa, North America, South America, Pakistan, Japan and India.