Leptoseris
| Leptoseris | |
|---|---|
| Leptoseris yabei | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Agariciidae |
| Genus: | Leptoseris Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849 |
Leptoseris is a genus of corals belonging to the family Agariciidae.
The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution. Leptoseris corals are found all over tropical waters in the Indo-Pacific ocean and over a range of depths but mainly the mesophotic zones. Leptoseris can be observed at depths ranging from shallow to extreme depths (over 100m).
They have a mutualistic relationship with microalgae called Symbiodinium that gives them the flexibility of photo-acclimatization and photoadaptation to the varying depths.