| Fungia fungites | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Subphylum: | Anthozoa |
| Class: | Hexacorallia |
| Order: | Scleractinia |
| Family: | Fungiidae |
| Genus: | Fungia Lamarck, 1801[2] |
| Species: | F. fungites |
| Binomial name | |
| Fungia fungites (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Synonyms | |
List (Genus)
(Species)
| |
Fungia is agenus of corals in thefamilyFungiidae. It is monotypic with the single speciesFungia fungites, which is found growing on reefs in theIndo-Pacific.
Until 2015, the genusFungia had more than 30 species, but based on recent studies it has now been reduced to a single species.[3][4]
Corals ofFungia fungites are mostly solitary, some attaining 30 centimetres (12 in) in diameter. The juveniles attach themselves to rock but larger individuals detach themselves and become free living. They are found in various bright colours including white, pink, red, purple, blue and yellow and are popular with keepers ofreef aquariums. The discs are either round or oval and the central mouth, which is surrounded bytentacles, may be a slit. Thepolyp sits in a calcareous cup, thecorallite. Thesepta are vertical skeletal elements inside the corallite wall and thecostae join the septae and continue outside the corallite wall and underneath the coral. Both the septae and costae are robust.Fungia fungites may be confused with specimens of the related genusCycloseris but the latter are always free living, even as juveniles, while the former bear a scar showing where they were attached when young. Fungia corals, like other large polyp stony corals, have developed several feeding strategies. They also capture planktonic organisms, food particles from the water column, and can absorb dissolved organic matter. Feeding tentacles are usually visible at night. Fungia also reproduce asexually. Daughter colonies / polyps may form and they will form offspring from broken pieces. they show regeneration.
