A family of stony corals characterized by their star-like appearance when viewed from above, common in reef environments.
From the genus Astraea (Greek goddess of justice, whose name means 'of the stars') plus the Latinized family suffix -idae, creating a scientific taxonomic name.
These corals build the foundation of many coral reefs, yet their scientific name celebrates stars and justice—it's how natural science secretly carries poetry within its technical language!
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