Euphylliidae (

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

eu-, true;

phyllon, leaf) are known as a family of polyped 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 under the order

Scleractinia Scleractinia, also called stony corals or hard corals, are marine animals in the phylum Cnidaria that build themselves a hard skeleton. The individual animals are known as polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral disc in which a mo ...

. This

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

consists of multiple

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

(more than one

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

) and various

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), ...

which are found among the

ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...

floor. These coral may be sparse or conspicuous in the wild. However, they are commonly kept in home-aquariums to be enjoyed for their beauty and protection by many fish and their owners.

Classification

As of the year 2000, the order

was divided into 18 artificial families, known as the

Acroporidae Acroporidae is a family of small polyped stony corals in the phylum Cnidaria. The name is derived from the Greek ''"akron"'' meaning "summit" and refers to the presence of a corallite at the tip of each branch of coral. They are commonly known a ...

, Astrocoeniidae, Pocilloporidae, Euphyllidae,

Oculinidae Oculinidae is a family of colonial corals. Characteristics Members of the family Oculinidae are characterised by having the walls of the corallites (the cups which house the polyps) being composed of solid walled though rather fragile tubes co ...

, Meandrinidae, Siderastreidae, Agariciidae,

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 corals to colonial species. Some genera such as '' Cycloseris'' and '' Fungia'' a ...

, Rhizangiidae, Pectiniidae, Merulinidae, Dendrophylliidae,

Caryophylliidae The Caryophylliidae are a family (biology), family of stony corals found from the tropics to temperate seas, and from shallow to very deep water. Genera *''Africana (coral), Africana'' Ocana & Brito, 2015 *''Anomocora'' Studer, 1878 *''Aste ...

Mussidae Mussidae is a family of stony coral in the order Scleractinia. Following a taxonomic revision in 2012, the family is now restricted to species found in the Atlantic Ocean, with Pacific species transferred to the new family Lobophylliidae. Many ...

, Faviidae, Trachyphylliidae, and

Poritidae Poritidae is a family of stony corals. Members of the family are colonial hermatypic (reef-building) corals. They are variable in size and form but most are massive, laminar or ramose as well as branching and encrusting. The corallites are co ...

(sensu Veron 2000). During this time, only 11 families were known to contain corals that can be classified as truly reef-building. All scleractinian families considered here are zooxanthellates (contain photo-endo- symbiontic

zooxanthellae Zooxanthellae (; zooxanthella) is a colloquial term for single-celled photosynthetic organisms that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including corals, jellyfish, demosponges, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthell ...

). However, in 2022 there are more than 30 families determined under the Scleractinia (according to the World Register of Marine Species) order and 845 species of coral which are known to be reef-building. Various genera are listed by 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 catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

: * Genus '' Coeloseris'' Vaughan, 1918 * Genus ''

Ctenella ''Ctenella'' is a monotypic genus of stony coral in the family Euphylliidae. It is represented by a single species, ''Ctenella chagius''. These corals are massive in size with meandering valleys between the calyces which have solid, non-porous w ...

'' Matthai, 1928 * Genus ''

Euphyllia ''Euphyllia'' is a genus of Euphylliidae, large-polyped Scleractinia, stony coral. Several species are commonly found in marine aquariums. The genus includes the following species: * ''Euphyllia baliensis'' Turak, Devantier & Erdman, 2012 – bu ...

'' Dana, 1846 * Genus '' Fimbriaphyllia'' Veron & Pichon, 1980 * Genus ''

Galaxea ''Galaxea'' is a genus of colonial stony corals in the family Euphylliidae. Common names include crystal, galaxy, starburst and tooth coral. They are abundant on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region and the Red Sea.Gyrosmilia'' Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851 * Genus '' Montigyra'' Matthai, 1928 * Genus '' Simplastrea'' Umbgrove, 1939 Additionally, ''Acrhelia'' and ''Acrohelia'' are considered synonyms of ''Galaxea'', while ''Leptosmilia'' is considered a synonym of ''Euphyllia''.

Appearance

Euphyllidae typically remain consistent in appearance with most stony corals. They are long, tubular or cylindrical with many "branches" which extend up toward the surface of the ocean. The exoskeleton of this organism is made of many polyps which consist of limestone or calcium carbonate. "Corallum with phaceloid growth; are green, gray, bluish, or pale-brown in color.

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 with, greenish to cream tips, that are round, kidney to bean-shaped (according to the species). Polyps usually at least partly extended. Corallites are very tall (up to 150 mm) and either single or in rows; rise separately (even at their bases) from encrusting leaves and are usually 1-40 mm in diameter. Calices are rounded. Septa are numerous and in cycles, larger ones exsert by as much as 10 mm as they pass over the corallite wall. Septal margins are smooth, finely granulated or minutely dentate. There is no columella." These corals have a body plan characterized by radial symmetry, which allows all parts of their bodies to be equally receptive and responsive to predator and prey.

Structure

Euphylliidae inherits its body structure and size through Scleractinia: * An

endoskeleton An endoskeleton (From Ancient Greek ἔνδον, éndon = "within", "inner" + σκελετός, skeletos = "skeleton") is a structural frame (skeleton) — usually composed of mineralized tissue — on the inside of an animal, overlaid by soft ...

structure with a solid composition of calcareous

aragonite Aragonite is a carbonate mineral and one of the three most common naturally occurring crystal forms of calcium carbonate (), the others being calcite and vaterite. It is formed by biological and physical processes, including precipitation fr ...

. * Functional group: macrobenthos (stage: adult) * Body size: (qualitative) 2.0 – 200 mm (stage: adult) * Functional group: zooplankton (stage: planula) * Functional group mesoplankton (stage: planula) * Body size (qualitative) 0.2 - 2.0 mm (stage: planula) Colonies are phaceloid, meandroid or flabello-meandroid, with large, solid and widely spaced septo-costae which have little or no ornamentation.

Corallite A corallite is the skeletal cup, formed by an individual stony coral polyp, in which the polyp sits and into which it can retract. The cup is composed of aragonite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate, and is secreted by the polyp. Corallit ...

(cuplike calcareous skeleton of polyp) walls have a similar structure. The most conspicuous of this family are the genera Plerogyra and Euphyllia. They can be abundant in turbid

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

al habitats. Euphyllidae are commonly referred to as the "bubble" or "grape" corals, since the large fleshy

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 and

vesicles Vesicle may refer to: ; In cellular biology or chemistry * Vesicle (biology and chemistry), a supramolecular assembly of lipid molecules, like a cell membrane * Synaptic vesicle In a neuron, synaptic vesicles (or neurotransmitter vesicles) s ...

are expanded during the day give the corals a bubble-like appearance. While most hard corals are best identified by looking at details of their skeleton, members of the family Euphyllidae are more easily told apart by looking at the structure of their tentacles. Some species have tentacles with a distinctive U-shaped tip, others lack this. Most coral structures are actually made up of hundreds to thousands of tiny coral creatures called polyps. Each soft-bodied polyp—most no thicker than a nickel—secretes a hard outer

skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of most animals. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is a rigid outer shell that holds up an organism's shape; the endoskeleton, a rigid internal fra ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

(

calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in Rock (geology), rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skel ...

) that attaches either to rock or the dead skeletons of other polyps. In the case of stony or hard corals, these polyp conglomerates grow, die, and endlessly repeat the cycle over time, slowly laying the limestone foundation for

coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...

s and giving shape to the familiar corals that reside there. Because of this cycle of growth, death, and regeneration among individual polyps, many coral colonies can live for a very long time.

Environment and activity

Euphylliid corals are

benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "the depths". ...

and sessile organisms, remaining on the sea floor through all stages of life. Although these organisms are commonly found in shallow waters and are often assumed to be plants, they are indeed marine animals. They do not have

photosynthetic Photosynthesis ( ) is a Biological system, system of biological processes by which Photoautotrophism, photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical ener ...

capabilities, which is why it is clear that polyps are very successful in feeding. These animals have a single opening that serves as both the mouth and the anus. Tentacles with stinging structures, called nematocysts, usually surround this opening. These stinging cells, triggered by touch or chemical stimulus, can contain toxins or can be sticky. These coral do not significantly

propel Propel or propelling may refer to: * Propulsion, to push forward or drive an object forward * Samsung A767 Propel, a mobile phone ** Samsung i627 Propel Pro * Propel Water, a drink from the makers of Gatorade * Propel, a steroid eluting sinus ...

themselves and therefore will not move actively with the exception of outward growth. As Euphyllia are part of the coral

taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

, they naturally feed through the small stingers of polyps which catch floating

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 ...

among other small organisms. Therefore they are photosymbiotic and known as suspension feeders. "Polyp activity in passive suspension feeders has been considered to be affected by several environmental factors such as hydrodynamics, water temperature and food concentration." The current conservation status of the family overall is unthreatened, but specific species are of higher concern than most others. Reasons for this concern rely on

environmental issues Environmental issues are disruptions in the usual function of ecosystems. Further, these issues can be caused by humans (human impact on the environment) or they can be natural. These issues are considered serious when the ecosystem cannot recov ...

such as increased

sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...

ocean acidification Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's ocean. Between 1950 and 2020, the average pH of the ocean surface fell from approximately 8.15 to 8.05. Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities are the primary cause of ...

, and

overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing Fish stocks, fish stock), resu ...

for the marine aquarium trade. Most corals contain algae called ''

'', which are plant-like organisms. Residing within the coral's tissues, the microscopic

algae Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthesis, photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular ...

are well protected and make use of the coral's

metabolic Metabolism (, from ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cellular processes; the ...

waste products for

photosynthesis 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 metabo ...

Location

Various Euphyllidae were found among the Indo-Pacific,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, Southeast Asia, the

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

and

East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. China names the body of water along its eastern coast as "East Sea" (, ) due to direction, the name of "East China Sea" is otherwise ...

, the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

, and

Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...

. Many species prefer

fringing reef A fringing reef is one of the three main types of coral reef. It is distinguished from the other main types, barrier reefs and atolls, in that it has either an entirely shallow backreef zone (lagoon) or none at all. If a fringing reef grows direc ...

crests, mid-slope terraces, and

s at depths of about 2 to 25 meters.

Reproduction

"Corals can reproduce asexually and sexually. In asexual reproduction, new clonal polyps bud off from parent polyps to expand or begin new colonies. This occurs when the parent polyp reaches a certain size and divides. This process continues throughout the animal's life. About three-quarters of all stony corals produce male and/or female gametes. Most of these species are broadcast spawners, releasing massive numbers of eggs and sperm into the water to distribute their offspring over a broad geographic area. The eggs and sperm join to form free-floating, or planktonic, larvae called planulae. Large numbers of planulae are produced to compensate for the many hazards, such as predators, that they encounter as they are carried by water currents. The time between planulae formation and settlement is a period of exceptionally high mortality among corals." "Planulae swim upward toward the light (exhibiting positive phototaxis), entering the surface waters and being transported by the current. After floating at the surface, the planulae swim back down to the bottom, where, if conditions are favorable, they will settle. Once the planulae settle, they metamorphose into polyps and form colonies that increase in size. In most species, the larvae settle within two days, although some will swim for up to three weeks, and in one known instance, two months."