The distribution of hermatypic scleractinian corals at Cape d'Aguilar, Hong Kong

A survey of the hermatypic corals at six sites within the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong, identified fifteen species of reef-building Scleractinia belonging to fifteen genera and seven families. This included Leptoseris scabra (Agariciidae), a new record for Hong Kong, one species from each of the Poritidae, Fungiidae, Meruliniidae and Dendrophylliidae, a further representative of the Agariciidae, two species from the Siderastreidae and seven species from the Faviidae. Species richness, abundance and percentage cover by corals was greatest at the two most sheltered sites within the study area. A total of nineteen species have now been recorded from within the marine reserve, Alveopora irregularis, Goniopora columna (Poritidae), Montipora venosa and Acropora pruinosa (Acroporidae) being recorded from outside the six study sites.