Lithophyllon
mushroom coral
Lithophyllon
undulatum*
Family Fungiidae
updated
Nov 2019
Where
seen? This plate-like coral that is stuck to a hard surface
is sometimes seen on our Southern shores.
Features: Flat plate-like about
20cm in diameter, attached at the base with a stalk but wavy with lobes at the
edges. May also be encrusting. The corallites form a distinctive pattern
of thick parallel lines perpendicular to the edge. There is a 'waist'
in the parallel lines at the mouth of the corallite, i.e., the parallel
lines merge at regular intervals. The walls are thick with fine 'teeth'.
May be confused with Bracket mushroom coral (Podabacia sp.) which has finer lines with thinner walls.
Status and threats: It is listed
as globally Near Threatened by
the IUCN. |
Cyrene Reef, Mar 07 |
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*Species are difficult
to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of
display.
Lithophyllon
mushroom corals on Singapore shores |
Other sightings on Singapore shores |
Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, Jun 23
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Photo shared by Tommy Arden on facebook. |
Tanah Merah,
Jun 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr.
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Sentosa Serapong, May 17
Photo shared by Abel Yeo on facebook.
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Little Sisters Island,
Feb 15
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog. |
Terumbu Pempang Tengah,
Jul 12
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr. |
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Links
References
- Hoeksema,
Bert W. and Esther G. L. Koh. 30 Dec 2009. Depauration
of the mushroom coral fauna (Fungiidae) of Singapore (1860s-2006)
in changing reef conditions (pdf). Raffles Bulletin of
Zoology Supplement No. 22: 91-101.
- Hoeksama, Bert W. 30 Dec 2009. Attached mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) in sediment-stressed reef conditions at Singapore, including a new species and a new record. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement No. 22: 97-107.
- Danwei Huang,
Karenne P. P. Tun, L. M Chou and Peter A. Todd. 30 Dec 2009. An
inventory of zooxanthellate sclerectinian corals in Singapore
including 33 new records (pdf). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology
Supplement No. 22: 69-80.
- Veron, Jen.
2000. Corals
of the World
Australian Institute of Marine Science, Australia. 3 volumes.
- Erhardt,
Harry and Daniel Knop. 2005. Corals:
Indo-Pacific Field Guide
IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 305 pp.
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