Echinopora lamellosa

Echinopora lamellosa is a colonial stony coral in the family Merulinidae, recognized for its highly variable growth form, ranging from thin encrusting sheets to whorled, laminar plates that stack in overlapping tiers. This structural plasticity allows colonies to adapt to varying light and water flow conditions, with flatter, more encrusting forms typical of deeper or more sheltered environments. Like other scleractinian corals, it hosts symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) within its tissues, which supply the majority of its energy through photosynthesis, while the coral itself extends polyps at night to capture plankton.

Colonies contribute to the physical framework of reef ecosystems, offering habitat complexity for fish and invertebrates.

The species occupies marine neritic habitats across a broad Indo-Pacific range, spanning from the eastern coast of Africa and Madagascar through the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and out into the Pacific to French Polynesia and the Cook Islands, with records in over 20 countries including Australia, Japan, and various Pacific island nations.

Its population is in decline due to a wide array of pressures: coastal mining and quarrying, unsustainable fishing and harvesting practices, reef damage from recreational activities, disease outbreaks and pressure from problematic native species, and pollution from urban wastewater and agricultural runoff. Habitat alteration linked to coastal development and broader shifting environmental conditions compounds these stressors.

Conservation efforts rely largely on existing marine protected areas across its range and international trade regulation, alongside broader reef-monitoring initiatives. No species-specific recovery programs are documented. Given the combination of localized and pervasive threats acting across its wide but fragmented range, the species' trajectory remains one of ongoing decline, consistent with its Vulnerable classification.