Fungiidae

"Mushroom coral" redirects here. For soft mushroom corals, see Corallimorpharia.

Fungiidae
Close-up of Fungia scutaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Anthozoa
Order:	Scleractinia
Suborder:	Fungiina
Family:	Fungiidae
Genera
See text.

Fungiidae (pronounced /fəŋˈɡiː.ɨdiː/) is a family of Cnidaria. It contains thirteen extant genera.

Characteristics

Species are generally solitary marine animals that are capable of benthic locomotion.^[1][2] These corals often appear to be bleached or dead.^[3] 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.^[4][5] Mushroom corals are also able to change gender.^[6]

Genera

• Ctenactis
• Cantharellus
• Cycloseris
• Diaseris
• Fungia
• Halomitra
• Heliofungia
• Herpolita
• Lithophyllon
• Podabacia
• Polyphyllia
• Sandalolitha
• Zoopilus

Notable species

• One fungiid species, Heliofungia actiniformis ("anemone coral"), can be easily mistaken for a sea anemone [actiniarian] because its tentacles remain visible during the day.^[4]
• Fungia spp. have a commensal pipefish, Siokunichthys nigrolineatus.^[7]
• Some fungiids can be elongate and look like a sea cucumber (stichopodid).
• Some fungiids (Fungia scruposa) have been observed eating jellyfish.^[8]

Notes

1. ^ Halstead, Bob. 2000. Coral Sea Reef Guide. Sea Challengers, Danville, CA, USA.
2. ^ "The Best Livestock For Your Reef Aquarium: Plate Corals, Family Fungiidae, Pt. 1". Wetwebmedia.com. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fungiidae.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-22. 
3. ^ "Stony Corals From The Family Fungiidae, A.J. Nilsen, October 1997, Aquarium.Net". Reefs.org (Where Reefkeeping Begins on the Internet). http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/1097/1097_4.html. Retrieved 2009-02-22. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "BioLib - Heliofungia actiniformis (Long tentacle plate coral)". Biolib.cz. http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id322018. Retrieved 2009-02-22. 
5. ^ "Fungioidea". Tolweb.org. 2002-10-28. http://tolweb.org/Fungioidea/19109. Retrieved 2009-02-22. 
6. ^ "Stressed Female Mushroom Corals Become Male". Discovery Channel. 2009-03-30. http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/03/30/mushroom-corals-sex.html. Retrieved 2010-06-03. 
7. ^ "Siokunichthys nigrolineatus". Fishbase. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=7192. Retrieved 2009-02-22. 
8. ^ "Predatory coral eats jellyfish". BBC News. 2009-11-13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8350000/8350972.stm. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 

Gallery

• 

  Heliofungia sp. looks similar to a sea anemone.

• 

  Fungia sp. in Papua New Guinea.

• 

  Herpolitha limax in Micronesia can appear bleached and also resemble a sea cucumber.

• 

  Fungia sp.

See also

• coral fungus
• Mussidae

External links

• Fungiidae at the Encyclopedia of Life
• AIMS CoralSearch - Heliofungia actiniformis
• Stony Corals Image Gallery
• Fungia scruposa eating a jelly fish (news.bbc.co.uk)