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Related FAQs: Mussids,
Mussids 2, Mussid Identification,
Mussid Behavior, Mussid
Compatibility, Mussid Selection,
Mussid Disease, Mussid Systems,
Mussid Feeding, Mussid
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: Brain, Meat, Pineapple
Corals, Family Mussidae, pt. 4
To: Part 1, Part
2, Part 3, |
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By Bob Fenner |
Mycetophyllia ferox, TCI |
Genus Mussa
Oken 1815. Monotypic, only found in the tropical West Atlantic. |
Mussa angulosa (Pallas 1766). Large, fleshy polyps that are
well-separated. When retracted, skeletal elements/septa appear
spiny. To two feet in diameter. Below: Bahamas images of larger,
smaller colonies and a close-up by Di.F in Cozumel. |
Genus Mycetophyllia Milne Edwards and Haime 1848. Flat colonies with
outward radiating valleys. Poorly developed columellae. Septa-costae are
outward facing. Found in the Caribbean only. |
Mycetophyllia aliciae, Knobby Cactus, Thin Fungus Coral. Usually
found as thin convex plates, with distinctive raised star-shaped
polyps. Bordered by ridges that run inward, though less pronounced,
common than others of the genus in the region. Bahamas pix. |  
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Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop
size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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Mycetophyllia danaana, Low Ridge Cactus Coral. Colonies as flat
plates, mounds, domes. Ridges about edge turn to the inside, often
crossing center, intertwine (definitive differences from M.
lamarckiana in the same area). Occurs in green, brown, gray. Six to
fifteen inches across. Bahamas pix. | 
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Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop
size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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Mycetophyllia ferox Wells 1973. Colonies mainly as rounded plates,
covered with sinuous valleys/mazes that at times form closed borders.
Bahamas images. |  
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Mycetophyllia lamarckiana, Ridged Cactus, Large Cactus, Fungus
Coral. Colonies as flat, wavy-edged plates. Ridges fleshy, don't
extend to centers. Wide, shallow valleys, usually fleshy. Color
variable: browns, greens, grays. 6-12 inches in diameter. Bahamas
pix. |  
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Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop
size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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Genus Scolymia Haime 1852. Singular, circular polyps. Indistinct
walls beneath their septa-costae. These are difficult species to discern
one from the other. The three occurring in the tropical West Atlantic
may be told apart by the shape of their septal "teeth".
| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop
size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
%20MD.JPG) %20MD.JPG) |
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Scolymia cubensis (Milne Edwards and Haime 1849). Septa in 2,3
orders as spikes, pick-shapes. Found in the Caribbean and off of
Brazil. Bahamas and Bonaire pix. |  
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| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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Scolymia lacera, Atlantic Mushroom Coral. Tropical West Atlantic. To
six inches in diameter, most a couple of inches. Have prominent
triangular septal teeth ridges. Cozumel image by Di.F. |  
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Bigger PIX:
The images in this table are
linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to
the larger size. |
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Scolymia vitiensis Bruggenmann 1877. Septa slope up from the
columellae, costae slope down to the perimeter. Look like Fungiids
with a depressed center otherwise. One in Fiji, another in an
aquarium. Below, two in Nuka Hiva, Marquesas, Polynesia. |  
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Scolymia wellsi, Solitary Disk Coral. Radiating, raised lines on
polyp. Occur in greens, grays, browns. Has rough, irregular
cylindrical, thin septal teeth. Bahamas pic. | 
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| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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Genus Symphyllia Milne Edwards and Haime 1848. Similar to
Lobophyllias but with a groove that runs along the top of corallite
walls that fuses contiguous corallites, whereas Lobos are free from each
other. |
Symphyllia agaricia Milne Edwards & Haime 1849. Thick fleshy
appearance. Aquarium image. | 
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Symphyllia erythraea (Klunzinger 1879). Massive hemispherical
colonies. Septa in two orders. Well formed columellae. Waikiki
Aquarium photo. | 
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Symphyllia radians Milne Edwards and Haime 1849. Flat to
hemispherical in profile. 20-25 millimeter wide valleys. Relatively
thick walls. Less twisting valleys than S. recta below. Fiji
colony and close-up. |  
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Symphyllia recta (Dana 1846). Hemispherical to flat colonies.
Small valleys (12-15mm wide), sinuous. A common coral in its range.
Green to brown. A Fiji colony and a Philippine close-up. |  
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Not entirely compatible with other Cnidarian life. Here is a battle
going on in a too-tightly stocked hobbyist culture system.
Bigger PIX:
The images in this table are linked to large (desktop
size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
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Bibliography/Further Reading:
Coral Search Borneman, Eric H. 2001. Aquarium Corals;
Selection, Husbandry and Natural History. Microcosm-TFH NJ, USA. 464 pp.
Fossa, Svein A. & Alf Jacob Nilsen. 1998 (1st ed.). The Modern Coral
Reef Aquarium, v.2 (Cnidarians). Bergit Schmettkamp Verlag, Bornheim,
Germany. 479pp. Gutierrez, Santiago. 1992. From a reef's point of
view. Mussa angulosa. FAMA 3/92. Hoover, John. 1998.
Hawai'i's Sea Creatures. A Guide to Hawai'i's Marine Invertebrates.
Mutual Publishing, Honolulu HI. 366pp. Humann, Paul. 1993. Reef
Coral Identification; Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. New World
Publications, Inc. Jacksonville, FL. 239pp. McDowell, Mark &
Greg Smith. 2001. Meat Coral (Cynarina lacrymalis)- Where's the
beef? FAMA 7/01. Vargas, Tony. 1998. Feature Coral column:
Cynarina. FAMA 7/98. Veron, J.E.N. 1986. Corals of Australia and
the Indo-Pacific. U. of HI press, Honolulu. 644 pp. Veron, J.E.N.
2000. Corals of the World. Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Queensland, Australia. three volumes. To:
Part 1, Part
2, Part 3,
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