Pavona (coral)

Pavona is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Agariciidae.

Corals in this genus have a range of different forms including those that are massive, meandering, columnar, leaf-like, and plate-like.

A single species may vary in form according to the current, wave action, lighting conditions, and depth of its location.

The corallites themselves are shallow depressions with central columella and may be separated by ridges.

[1][2] If they do not get enough nutrients or “food” from photosynthesis they switch to the autotrophic mode, and obtain some of their nutrition from their symbiotic algae.