''Duncanopsammia'' is a

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

genus of stony

coral Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...

s. It is represented by the single

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, ''Duncanopsammia axifuga'', commonly called whisker coral, duncanops coral, or simply duncan coral. Individual

polyps A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are roughly cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the vase-shaped body. In solitary polyps, the aboral (opposite to oral) en ...

are fairly large with round skeletal bases (corallites) in diameter and larger central discs from which multiple

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 main ...

s radiate; the polyps form a structure branching at irregular intervals to form a large colony.

Habitat and distribution

''D. axifuga'' inhabits sandy and rocky seabeds in Australia and the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

where it can be found growing in colonies of branching or clustered individuals near the foundation of the reef. It typically grows at depths up to .

Description

left, Colony of Duncan coral, with light brown polyps ''D. axifuga'' has large polyps that possess a wide, flat, circular disk that is usually light brown or green in color, and is usually patterned by faint stripes or darker or lighter color. The tentacles of an average polyp are thin and are usually colored brown or green similar to the disk color. The tentacles have rows of stinging cells called

nematocysts A cnidocyte (also known as a cnidoblast) is a type of cell containing a large secretory organelle called a ''cnidocyst'', that can deliver a sting to other organisms as a way to capture prey and defend against predators. A cnidocyte explosively ...

, and generally produce a sticky sensation when touched. An individual polyp resembles a miniature sea anemone although the diameter of each polyp can only reach a diameter of . The polyps can open and contract depending on stimuli including to move captured prey to the central mouth.

Aquarium trade

''D. axifuga'' is a species of coral often encountered in the aquarium trade where it is commonly called the duncan coral and referred to as a type of large-polyp stony coral (LPS). It has become increasingly popular due to the relatively easy care requirements for the growth of the coral and the fast rate at which it grows. The duncan coral generally prefers to inhabit an established

reef aquarium A reef aquarium or reef tank is a marine aquarium that prominently displays live corals and other marine invertebrates as well as fish that play a role in maintaining the tropical coral reef environment. A reef aquarium requires appropriately i ...

if brought into captivity. They live in saltwater, so an artificial saltwater mix should be provided for them to live in, and they require a temperature preferably between . These corals, like many other LPS corals, need low to moderate lighting to

photosynthesize Photosynthesis ( ) is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metaboli ...

. Duncan corals also require a low to moderate current to bring them food such as

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater Aquatic ecosystem, ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek language, Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), mea ...

zooplankton Zooplankton are the heterotrophic component of the planktonic community (the " zoo-" prefix comes from ), having to consume other organisms to thrive. Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents. Consequent ...

naturally. However, target feeding can be supplemented by using a tool to dispense food onto the polyp's tentacles. This coral should be placed low in the tank, preferably on the substrate or on a low-lying rock, where the coral can form a colony. Propagating this coral is achieved by separating polyps from the base of the coral.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q18519113, from2=Q3041267 Scleractinia genera Dendrophylliidae Monotypic cnidarian genera