Taxonomy

Colonies are meandroid in form, small (less than 10cm diameter), and either dome shaped, or with pointed ‘ice cream cone’ shapes when viewed from the side.
Colonies are free living or when small be attached to small sediment grain, mollusc shell, or branchie calcareous algae.
On oral surface of the colony there is typically one continuous branching meandroid valley, although this can be is discontinuous if the corallum has been damaged during the life of the colony.
Septa are plate-shaped and not perforated,and characterized by two lobes - a small inner lobe an larger outer lobes.
Septal margins with small pointed teeth extending from upper and inner margins. Lateral margins of septal with similar small pointed teeth arranged in parallel or slightly fanning rows oriented in the oral-aboral (up/down) direction, with each row on the lateral face corresponding with a tooth on the edge of the septum.
Septa might alternate in size, thicker and more exsert major septal alternating with thinner, less strongly ornamented, minor septa. In 5 mm, there will be 6-7 major and 12-13 total septa.
The wall is septothecal so is formed from thickenings of adjacent septa forming a sheet.
The columella is continous and spongy, as formed from twisted projections of the inner margins of septa.
The underside of colonies is typically covered by thick white coating called epitheca.

Lookalikes

Find out about species that look similar to Manicina areolata.
Evolution

Read about the genus Manicina and the period during which many of its species became extinct, leaving Manicina areolata as the only surviving member.