Astrocoeniidae

Astrocoeniidae is a family of stony corals in the order Scleractinia. These corals are characterized by their colonial growth forms, typically forming massive or encrusting structures. The corallites, which house individual polyps, are often small and closely packed. A distinctive feature of Astrocoeniidae is the presence of septa within the corallites that are usually well-developed and can have prominent pali. The external surface of the coral skeleton, known as the coenosteum, is often textured and can exhibit granular or spinose patterns.

Fossils attributed to the Astrocoeniidae family are found in rocks dating back to the Jurassic period. The distribution of extant Astrocoeniidae species is primarily in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. They inhabit various reef environments, including shallow reefs and deeper fore-reef slopes, where they contribute to the structural complexity of the coral reef ecosystem. Like other stony corals, Astrocoeniidae polyps live in a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic dinoflagellates called zooxanthellae, which provide them with essential nutrients. Their reproductive strategies involve both asexual budding and sexual reproduction.