hard corals text index | photo index
Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Zoantharia/Hexacorallia > Order Scleractinia > Family Dendrophyllidae > Turbinaria sp.
Thin disk coral
Turbinaria sp.*

Family Dendrophylliidae
updated Nov 2019
Where seen? This hard coral that forms thin cup-shaped colonies is sometimes seen on our Southern shores.

Features: Colonies up to 15-20cm, generally a very thin plate (0.2-0.5cm) forming a cup or inverted cone. Sometimes, the edges are slightly wavy.

Corallites tiny (less than 0.2cm) low rounded bumps with a large depression in the centre where the polyps sit. Corallites generally spaced apart with a smooth surface between them. Polyps tiny with few tentacles, usually only seen at night. Colony colours seen include yellow, brown, green and bluish, edges may be pale or in a different colour.

Turbinaria reniformis, Turbinaria mesenterina and Turbinaria frondens may have these features.

Tuas, Jul 06

Sisters Island, May 12

Tuas, Apr 04

*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.

Thin disk corals on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Tanah Merah, Jun 10

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his flickr.

St. John's Island, Aug 08

Tuas, Aug 04
links | references | about | email Ria
Spot errors? Have a question? Want to share your sightings? email Ria I'll be glad to hear from you!
wildfactsheets website©ria tan 2008