Annotated Checklist of the Hermatypic Corals of the Philippines

Abstract

All known reef-building corals of the Philippines are listed in systematic order. Records are from original field studies combined with reevaluations of major taxonomic collections in Philippines universities. Field studies were conducted in 1986 and 1988 on reefs near Bolinao (Luzon), Puerto Galera (Mindoro), Mactan (Cebu), Apo Island (Negros), and EI Nido (Palawan), an area of over half the east-west and north-south extent of the country. Detailed studies were made of collections at the University of the Philippines (Marine Science Institute, Zoology Department, and Bolinao Marine Laboratory), the University of San Carlos, and Silliman University. Synonomies are proposed, based on reevaluations of all available type specimens that have the Philippines as type locality. All taxa are indexed.