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Related FAQs: Fungiids, Fungiid
Corals 2, Fungiid Identification,
Fungiid Behavior,
Fungiid Compatibility,
Fungiid Selection,
Fungiid Systems,
Fungiid Feeding,
Fungiid Disease,
Fungiid Reproduction,
Stony/True Coral,
Coral System Set-Up, Coral
System Lighting, Stony Coral
Identification, Stony Coral Selection, Coral
Placement, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition,
Disease/Health, Propagation,
Growing Reef Corals, Stony
Coral Behavior,
Related Articles: Large
Polyp Stony Corals, Stony
or True Corals, Order Scleractinia, Dyed
Corals,
/The Best Livestock For Your Reef Aquarium:
Plate Corals, Family Fungiidae, Pt. 1
To: Part 2
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By Bob Fenner |
Fungiid field, Malaysia
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Family Fungiidae Dana 1848. The Mushroom Corals could be poster
children for LPS (Large Polyped Stony Corals) if they weren't so odd in many
ways. These are solitary, non-reef building animals that amongst the true or
stony corals are ambulatory... yes, they're capable of movement. All but three
genera remain free, unattached from the substrate as adults.
Structurally, the Fungiids are unified as being solitary, circular
to oblong in shape with septo-costae radiating from their upper surface center,
and costae from flattened underneath sides.
Aquarium Care Note:
Most Fungiids are found in shallow water (under ten meters
in depth) on various types of substrates; rocky, sandy, to silty. Ones with a
high relief (dome-shaped), and spines/septa of low relief utilize these aspects
of their morphology, expansion of their polyp-bodies, and/or muco-ciliary
action. The more flat-profile, un-toothed septa species that are more often
offered to the hobby don't have as much latitude at throwing off sediment and
should be placed accordingly on softer, low-detritus bottoms out of the way of
direct current.
| Though these mobile scleractinians don't sting each other,
other sessile invertebrates must be placed, arranged out of harm's way,
including climbing harm's way. Most other corals will suffer given contact with
a Fungiid skeleton, polyp or its mucus. At right a sick, mis-placed fungiid...
miserable. |
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Take care in moving the Plate Corals. They tear easily.
Wafting your hand gently near an expanded one will cause it to retreat into its
chitinous/calcareous skeleton. Touch it on the bottom/underside and slip it into
a water filled bag underwater.
Fungiids bear endosymbiotic algae that require strong
light, but all benefit from regular feeding as well. Foods may be placed on
their upper surfaces or a mash of appropriate size matter can be basted in their
direction... with the filter pumps temporarily cycled off.
As a general rule all Fungiids with the exception of
Heliofungia actiniformis (which IMO should be removed from this family...
taxonomically) are pretty sturdy aquarium species... given initial good health,
suitable, established homes... Helio/Long tentacle plate corals rarely fare well
for any length of time... especially if not placed on soft/fine sand substrates.
| Reproduction: Reproduction can be sexual but is
often encountered in the form of asexually produced daughter colonies, called anthocauli.
These asexual bits grow and break off a parent, making their lives on the
bottom separately. Fragmentation is another way Fungiids may be
reproduced. This requires at most the breaking of a donor into six
pieces.
Acanthocauli attached on a rock in captivity. |
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Identification Notes: There are some 40 plus
species in eleven genera that make up the Fungiid family... they are
described and discerned out in the field and lab mainly by their hard
skeletal make-up. Septa/e are radiating ridges on their upper sides, costa/e
in-between... the shape, number, regularity of
the "teeth" on these structures are species identifying
characteristic.
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Genus Ctenactis Verrill 1864. Elongated polyps with a central furrow
of one to many enclosed mouths. Septa are regularly arrayed with large
triangular teeth.
| Ctenactis crassa (Dana 1846). Axial furrow extends
apparently to both ends of the polyp. Multiple mouths, all within the
furrow. Juvenile and older polyp in the Red Sea. |
 
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| Ctenactis echinata (Pallas 1776). Both septa and
costal (top and bottom skeletal lines) bear teeth. One mouth. Below,
juvenile polyp, adult and close-up in Fiji. |
| Ctenactis sp. N. Sulawesi. |
 
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Genus Cycloseris Mile Edwards & Haime 1849. Under two inches in
diameter, with flat to dome-shaped circular skeletons, a central mouth, teeth on
their septa, and fine costae. No pits on undersides. Generally not found on
reefs. Indo-Mid Pacific; Red Sea, East Africa to Australia, Indonesia,
Marquesas.
| Cycloseris cyclolites (Lamarck 1801). Circular polyps
of up to 40 mm. diameter, concave underneath. Septa are thick, straight,
thicker and exsert near the mouth. Pale to cream in color usually, but may
be brightly colored in shallow water. N. Sulawesi pic. |
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| Fungia (Cycloseris) costulata. This
species is distinguished by its straight, non-wavy septal walls and that
they decidedly thicken toward the mouth/center. Occur in sand, mud.
West Pacific. N. Sulawesi pix. |
| Cycloseris vaughani Boschma 1923, Vaughan's
Razor Coral. Circular in shape, flat on the bottom. Found on hard surfaces
in shallow depths (to forty feet or so). Six prominent septal ribs. Big
Island pic. |
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| Cycloseris sp. skeleton in the Red Sea, top
view. This genus is distinguished from Fungia by its finely
serrated costal edges (vs. denticular in Fungia), and lack of
perforations of said walls. |
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Genus Diaseris Milne Edwards & Haime 1849
| Diaseris distorta (Michelin 1843). Skeletons made up
of fan-shaped elements of up to 40 mm in diameter. Often with living polyp
swollen to a few times the skeleton volume. N. Sulawesi pix. |
 
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Genus Fungia Lamarck 1801, Disk, Tongue, Mushroom Corals. Thirty three
species that are difficult to discern. Circular to oblong, flat to dome-shaped.
Single polyp, single mouth in the center. Costae as rows of spines, septa with
smaller teeth. Pits in the skeleton underside between costae. Have rows of short
tentacles that are widely spaced. Excellent aquarium subjects.
To Do: Chart for discerning species: Characteristics vs. species:
Circular or irregular polyp shape, dome shape in center?, size of costae, holes
between costae (on undersides), Septal teeth shape, septae shape/regularity,
tentacular lobes present? color, distribution... Important to include
close-ups of above and obverse sides (ex. at right).
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| Fungia concinna Verrill 1864, Disk Coral. Flat,
circular skeletons to six inches in diameter. Septal teeth small. Very
small tentacular lobes or none. Underside lacks pits. Here
off Hawai'i's Big Island at night. |
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| Fungia danai Milne Edwards & Haime 1851. Circular
polyps of up to twelve inches in diameter, with definitive raised central
area (arch). Septa are straight, have large teeth and prominent tentacular
lobes. A common species in the wild and trade. Fiji images. |
 
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| Fungia fralinae Nemenzo 1955. Circular flattened
polyps. Septa of two intermittent kinds; taller and lower, both with fine
teeth, both thin and straight. Tentacles generally evident during the day
have colored tips. Light greenish brown in color overall. Bunaken,
Sulawesi, Indonesia photo. |
 
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| Fungia fungites (Linnaeus 1758). Polyps irregularly
circular to round in appearance. Regular, saw like, triangular septal
teeth. Often with tentacular lobes showing. Aquarium and Pulau
Redang, Malaysia photos. |
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| Fungia klunzingeri Doderlein 1901. Circular polyps of
up to eight inches diameter, flat or with a central dome area. Septa of
different sizes with large triangular teeth in patterns. Common in the Red
Sea where these images were made. |
 
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| Fungia scutaria Lamarck 1801. Oval, heavy polyps
with high, regularly placed tentacular lobes. To seven inches.
Indo-Pacific. Occur in
many colors. At right in Hawai'i. Below: Specimens in the Red Seas upper Gulf of Aqaba, and one
in the Maldives to show the degree of arching possible. |
 
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To: Pt. 2
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