Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Pavona varians (Verrill, 1864)

coral pétreo, Stony coral

Colonies are laminar or encrusting and highly variable in colour.

Found on rocky substrates throughout Galapagos.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Cnidaria

Class
Anthozoa

Order
Scleractinia

Family
Agariciidae

Genus
Pavona

Species
varians

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Lophoseris percarinata (Ridley, 1883), Lophoseris repens Brüggemann, 1877, Pavona (Pavona) varians Verrill, 1864, Pavona intermedia (Gardiner, 1898), Pavona percarinata Ridley, 1883, Pavona repens (Brüggemann, 1877), Pavonia intermedia Gardiner, 1898, Pavonia percarinata Ridley, 1883, Pavonia repens (Brüggemann, 1877), Pavonia varians Verrill, 1864 (Horton et al., 2021).

Origin: Native

Status

IUCN Red List Category: Not evaluated

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Found in Panama, Gulf of California, Colombia, Clipperton, Mapelo, Line, Marquesas, Tuamotus, Tahiti, Hawaii, Indo-Pacific, eastern Pacific and widespread in Galapagos Islands in Throughout, except Fernandina and W Isabela.

References

  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
  • Bustamante, R.H. Vinueza, L.R., Smith, F., Banks, S., Calvopiña, M., Francisco, V., Chiriboga, A., Harris, J. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas I: Organismos sésiles y mesoinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 38-67.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2009) Evolutionary Responses of Marine Invertebrates to Insular Isolation in Galapagos. Journal of Science and Conservation in the Galapagos Islands, p. 32-42.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. Chiriboga, A., Ober, W.C. (2005) A field guide to corals of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 54 pp.
  • Hickman, C.P. Jr. (2008) A field guide to corals and other radiates of Galápagos. Sugar Spring Press, Lexington, Virginia, 162 pp.
  • Horton, T. Horton, T., Kroh, A., Ahyong, S., Bailly, N., Boyko, C. B., Brandão, S. N., Gofas, S., Hooper, J. N. A., Hernandez, F., Holovachov, O., Mees, J., Molodtsova, T. N., Paulay, G., Decock, W., Dekeyzer, S., Poffyn, G., Vandepitte, L., Vanhoorne, B., Adlard, R., ... Zhao, Z. (2021) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.
  • Wells, J.W. (1983) Annotated list of the scleractinian corals of the Galápagos. In: Glynn, P.W. & Wellington, G.M.: Corals and coral reefs of the Galápagos Islands. University of California Press, Berkley, Los Angeles, London, 213-291 p.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Pavona varians", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7934. Accessed 31 October 2026.