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In 2025, Prof. Dr. Francesca Benzoni first described a new large-polyp stony coral called Pavona giannii.
This stony coral is native to the western and central Indian Ocean and can be easily reached and observed by divers, as it settles at a maximum depth of 15 meters.
Pavona giannii is a new species of colonial stony coral of the genus Pavona, distinguished by its skeleton and polyp morphology.
This species differs from all currently known Pavona species in its characteristic crust-like growth form, smooth coral surface, and characteristic diurnal expansion and coloration of the polyps.
Pavona giannii inhabits shallow coral reefs and hard substrates in the Indian Ocean.
Future research on Pavona and other Agariciidae should focus primarily on expanded species sampling from various geographic locations, including type localities, in conjunction with phylogenomic analyses.
Such efforts are essential to elucidate the complex phylogenetic relationships within Pavona and ultimately establish a robust and stable taxonomic framework for this ecologically important coral genus.
Typically, the tentacles of the polyps are expanded during the day, so that the coloration of the coenosarc, tentacles, oral disc, and mouth is usually visible in situ.
The living tissue around the mouth opening and oral disc is white to light gray, and the tentacles are usually white, giving the colony surface a bearded appearance.
Occasionally, tentacles may also be light green or, rarely, brown.
The coenosarc is typically brown to savora-mustard yellow.
Etymology.
This species is named after Giambattista J.d.C. Benzoni, known as Gianni (1946-2024) for his unconditional support throughout my personal and professional life, and the graceful pride he took in being a coral taxonomist’s father.
Benzoni F (2025)
A new reef-dwelling coral, Pavona giannii sp. nov. (Scleractinia, Agariciidae), with an overview of the skeletal morphology of the type specimens of the genus Pavona.
ZooKeys 1260: 123-147. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1260.167263
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
This stony coral is native to the western and central Indian Ocean and can be easily reached and observed by divers, as it settles at a maximum depth of 15 meters.
Pavona giannii is a new species of colonial stony coral of the genus Pavona, distinguished by its skeleton and polyp morphology.
This species differs from all currently known Pavona species in its characteristic crust-like growth form, smooth coral surface, and characteristic diurnal expansion and coloration of the polyps.
Pavona giannii inhabits shallow coral reefs and hard substrates in the Indian Ocean.
Future research on Pavona and other Agariciidae should focus primarily on expanded species sampling from various geographic locations, including type localities, in conjunction with phylogenomic analyses.
Such efforts are essential to elucidate the complex phylogenetic relationships within Pavona and ultimately establish a robust and stable taxonomic framework for this ecologically important coral genus.
Typically, the tentacles of the polyps are expanded during the day, so that the coloration of the coenosarc, tentacles, oral disc, and mouth is usually visible in situ.
The living tissue around the mouth opening and oral disc is white to light gray, and the tentacles are usually white, giving the colony surface a bearded appearance.
Occasionally, tentacles may also be light green or, rarely, brown.
The coenosarc is typically brown to savora-mustard yellow.
Etymology.
This species is named after Giambattista J.d.C. Benzoni, known as Gianni (1946-2024) for his unconditional support throughout my personal and professional life, and the graceful pride he took in being a coral taxonomist’s father.
Benzoni F (2025)
A new reef-dwelling coral, Pavona giannii sp. nov. (Scleractinia, Agariciidae), with an overview of the skeletal morphology of the type specimens of the genus Pavona.
ZooKeys 1260: 123-147. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1260.167263
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
