The Fungiidae () are a family of

Cnidaria Cnidaria () is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic animals found both in freshwater and marine environments, predominantly the latter. Their distinguishing feature is cnidocytes, specialized cells that ...

, commonly known as mushroom corals or plate corals. The family contains thirteen extant genera. They range from solitary corals to

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

species. Some genera such as ''

Cycloseris ''Cycloseris'' is a genus of solitary disc corals in the family Fungiidae. They are found in the Indo-Pacific. They inhabit the lower reef slopes, and the areas between reefs with soft sediments. They tolerate turbid waters. Description Coral ...

'' and ''

Fungia ''Fungia'' is a genus of corals in the family Fungiidae. It is monotypic with the single species ''Fungia fungites'', which is found growing on reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Taxonomy Until 2015, the genus ''Fungia'' had more than 30 species, but b ...

'' are solitary organisms, '' Polyphyllia'' consists of a single organism with multiple mouths, and ''

Ctenactis ''Ctenactis'' is a genus of solitary disc corals in the family Fungiidae. Members of this genus are found in the Indo-Pacific region. Characteristics Members of this genus are medium to large oval disc corals. They have an axial furrow with usu ...

'' and '' Herpolitha'' might be considered as solitary organisms with multiple mouths or a colony of individuals, each with its separate mouth.

Characteristics

Species are generally

solitary Solitary is the state of being alone or in solitude. The term may refer to: * shortened form of solitary confinement * Solitary animal, an animal that does not live with others in its species * Solitary but social, a type of social organization ...

marine animals Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries. At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. M ...

capable of benthic

locomotion Locomotion means the act or ability of something to transport or move itself from place to place. Locomotion may refer to: Motion * Motion (physics) * Robot locomotion, of man-made devices By environment * Aquatic locomotion * Flight * Locomo ...

. These corals often appear to be bleached or dead. In most genera, a single polyp emerges from the center of the skeleton to feed at night. Most species remain fully detached from the substrate in adulthood. Some are immobile as well as colonial.

Ecology

Some species of mushroom coral such as ''

Fungia repanda ''Lithophyllon repanda'' is a species of mushroom or disc coral in the Family (biology), family Fungiidae.This species is able to move to another location on occasion. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rated it as a least- ...

'' and ''

Ctenactis echinata ''Ctenactis echinata'' is a free-living species of solitary disc coral in the family Fungiidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. This is a common species throughout its wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature ha ...

'' are able to change sex. This is posited to take place in response to environmental or energetic constraints, and to improve the organism's evolutionary fitness; similar phenomena are observed in some

dioecious plants Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...

Genera

The

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialis ...

includes these genera in the family: *''

Cantharellus ''Cantharellus'' is a genus of popular edible mushrooms, commonly known as chanterelles, a name which can also refer to the type species, '' Cantharellus cibarius''. They are mycorrhizal fungi, meaning they form symbiotic associations with plant ...

'' Hoeksema & Best, 1984 *''

'' Verrill, 1864 *''

'' Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849 *''

Danafungia ''Danafungia'' is a genus of mushroom corals in the family Fungiidae. Members of the genus are found growing on reefs in the Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as th ...

'' Wells, 1966 *''

'' Lamarck, 1801 *'' Halomitra'' Dana, 1846 *''

Heliofungia ''Heliofungia'' is a genus of stony corals in the family Fungiidae. These corals are found in shallow water in the Indo-Pacific region. They are zooxanthellate Zooxanthellae is a colloquial term for single-celled dinoflagellates that are abl ...

'' Wells, 1966 *'' Herpolitha'' Eschscholtz, 1825 *'' Lithophyllon'' Rehberg, 1892 *''

Lobactis ''Lobactis'' is a genus of plate or mushroom coral in the family Fungiidae. The genus is monotypic with a single species, ''Lobactis scutaria'', that is found in the Indo-Pacific region. Description ''Lobactis scutaria'' is a solitary, non-co ...

'' Verrill, 1864 *''

Pleuractis ''Pleuractis'' is a genus of mushroom corals in the family Fungiidae. Members of the genus are found growing on reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Taxonomy Although treated as a subgenus of '' Fungia'' by Hoeksma (1989), a 2011 paper elevated ''Pleurac ...

'' Verrill, 1864 *'' Podabacia'' Milne Edwards & Haime, 1849 *'' Polyphyllia'' Blainville, 1830 *''

Sandalolitha ''Sandalolitha'' is a genus of cnidarians belonging to the family Fungiidae The Fungiidae () are a family of Cnidaria, commonly known as mushroom corals or plate corals. The family contains thirteen extant genera. They range from solitary cora ...

'' Quelch, 1884 *'' Sinuorota'' Oku, Naruse & Fukami, 2017 *''

Zoopilus ''Zoopilus'' is a monotypic genus of cnidarians belonging to the family Fungiidae The Fungiidae () are a family of Cnidaria, commonly known as mushroom corals or plate corals. The family contains thirteen extant genera. They range from solit ...

'' Dana, 1846

Notable species

*One fungiid

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, ''Heliofungia actiniformis'' ("anemone coral"), can be easily mistaken for a sea anemone ctiniarianbecause its

tentacle In zoology, a tentacle is a flexible, mobile, and elongated organ present in some species of animals, most of them invertebrates. In animal anatomy, tentacles usually occur in one or more pairs. Anatomically, the tentacles of animals work ma ...

s remain visible during the day. *''Fungia'' spp. have a

commensal Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit fro ...

pipefish Pipefishes or pipe-fishes (Syngnathinae) are a subfamily of small fishes, which, together with the seahorses and seadragons (''Phycodurus'' and '' Phyllopteryx''), form the family Syngnathidae. Description Pipefish look like straight-bodied se ...

, ''

Siokunichthys ''Siokunichthys'' is a genus of pipefishes native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. One species, ''Siokunichthys nigrolineatus'', has a commensal relationship with mushroom corals of the genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank use ...

nigrolineatus''. *''Heliofungia actiniformis'' provides shelter to some fish species (

Gobiidae Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and the ...

and Labridae). *Some fungiids can be elongated and look like a sea cucumber ( stichopodid). *Some fungiids (''

Danafungia scruposa ''Danafungia scruposa'' is a species of coral that is the first to have been observed to eat jellyfish. It was described by Klunzinger in 1879 and has a diameter of around . It is rated as a least-concern species. Description They are around in ...

'') have been observed eating jellyfish.

Importance to humans

Members of the family Fungiidae are not of any commercial importance, but are collected for the aquarium trade and are sold as "plate corals".

References

Gallery

File:Coral (Heliofungia actiniformis) (20 cm).png, ''Heliofungia'' sp. looks similar to a sea anemone. File:Muchroom_coral.JPG, ''Fungia'' sp. in

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

File:Herpolitha limax.jpg, ''Herpolitha limax'' in

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

can appear bleached and also resemble a sea cucumber. File:Unknown Coral Front and back Macro.jpg, ''Fungia'' sp.

External links

* *
AIMS CoralSearch - ''Heliofungia actiniformis''Fungia scruposa eating a jelly fish (news.bbc.co.uk)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1798404 Scleractinia Cnidarian families Taxa named by James Dwight Dana