Tag Archive: Corallimorphs


4-13-18 Discosoma spp. from Ron’s Corallimorph Hidden Reef Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, INDO-PACIFIC, INVERTEBRATES — Leave a comment
April 13, 2018

TAXONOMY
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Corallimorpharia
Family: Discosomatidae (Corallimorphian)

Genus/species: Discosoma spp.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Generally they are disc shaped with a conical mouth, and the oral disc may be smooth, ribbed, with small or large pseudo tentacles or none at all. Unlike Rhodactus spp., most Discosoma spp. have smooth disc surfaces that lack obvious tentacles, though some may have small or rudimentary tentacles that are visible as rows of knobs.  Discosoma spp.  have many different colors such as blue, red, green and purple and some comes in stripes and spotted pattern,

The consistency of the tissues is thick and, due to copious mucus production, they are slippery to the touch.

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Diameter up to 8–15 cm (3-6 in)

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Widespread in Indo-Pacific; also common in the Caribbean. Found in tropical coral reefs, typically in dense aggregations.

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DIET IN THE WILD: Discosoma spp. is a microcarnivore of plankton; may also possess zooxanthellae.

REPRODUCTION: Sexual and asexual, mostly through budding and pedal laceration. Formation of colonies of clones is common for most species.

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REMARKS:

Corallimorphs are, as their name implies, very coral-like, but they do not secrete a skeleton.

Aquarists commonly use the generic term Actinodiscus.

REFERENCES

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Color on the Reef 2018

Aquarium Corals E H Borneman TFH Publications 2001 page 201-3

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/26535600445/in/album-72157659465376212/

Ron’s WordPress shortlink wp.me/p1DZ4b-1Kn

Advanced Aquarist www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/10/inverts#section-0

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2-28-15 Rhodactis spp. (Mushroom) from Ron’s Corallimorph Series

Filed under: CNIDARIANS, CORAL REEF, INDO-PACIFIC, INVERTEBRATES — Leave a comment
February 28, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Hexacorallia
Order: Corallimorpharia
Family: Ricordeidae

Genus/sp. Rhodactis spp.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Rhodactis mushroom grow much larger than other mushroom genera, some attaining sizes of more than 10 inches across. The surface of their mushroom cap is covered with small tentacles (verrucae) or large warty knobs that are radially arranged. They are found attached to rock.

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DIET IN THE WILD: Ricordeidae feed both on the products of zooxanthellae, and on zooplankton or fish they catch with their tentacles and nematocysts as well as dissolved organic matter.

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REPRODUCTION: Asexual reproduction occurs by two mechanisms. Split or fission reproduction occurs when the coral splits along its mouth creating a clone. Alternatively, particulates released from the foot can develop into a new specimen, which is called laceration.

Sexual reproduction produces a larva called a Planula which once on the seabed develops into a new individual.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Color on the Reef AQA12 2017

Aquarium Corals Eric Borneman TFH publications 2001 pages 206-209

EOL eol.org/pages/4680444/overview

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1M9

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/32905288196/in/album-72157659465376212/

 

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2-13-17 Ball Anemone from Ron’s Corallimorph Series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, INDO-PACIFIC, INVERTEBRATES, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
February 13, 2017

TAXONOMY
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Hexacorallia
Order: Corallimorpharia
Family: Corallimorphidae

Genus/species: Corynactis sp.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Note ball tipped tentacles. 

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DISTRIBUTION: Tropical Indian, Central and Western Pacific Oceans

HABITAT: Reef associated

DIET: Small fish and zooplankton

REMARKS: This close relative of sea anemones has sticky ball-tipped tentacles.  Some species of shrimps and fish are immune to the stickiness and live within the tentacles.

Corallimorpharia (Corallimorph) is an order of marine cnidarians closely related to the true sea anemones (Actiniaria). They are mostly tropical, with a narrow column topped with a wide oral disc. The tentacles are usually short or very short, arranged in rows radiating from the mouth. Many species occur together in large groups. In many respects, they resemble the stony corals, except for the absence of a stony skeleton. 

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Color on the Reef 2017 AQA17 Charles Delbeek

EOL eol.org/pages/75554/names

WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-ji

flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/31690177025/in/album-72157659465376212/

 

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10-24-16 Club-tipped Anemone aka Strawberry Anemone from Ron’s Marine Series

Filed under: CNIDARIANS, INVERTEBRATES — Leave a comment
October 24, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Hexacorallia
Order: Corallimorpharia
Family: Corallimorphidae

Genus/species: Corynactis californica

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Typically red or orange-pink, occasionally purple, yellow, buff, brown or nearly white.
Corallimorphs are not true anemones. Tentacles end in knobs (club-tipped tentacles) and are not fully retractile, usually being white. Corallimorphs are also very similar to corals in some other characters, but lack the hard coral skeleton. Found in groups, with individuals up to 2 cm (0.8 inches) long (average height and diameter is 1 cm  (0.4 inches).

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DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, Mexico. Habitat: Colonies abundant from the low rocky intertidal to 30 m (98 feet).

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DIET IN THE WILD: C. californica captures prey by extruding mesenterial filaments onto its prey which are used for digestion and absorption of food in the coelenteron. If the prey is too large to take into the coelenteron, the mesenterial filaments are used to digest it externally. They are carnivores consuming  copepods, crustacean larvae and other zooplankton.

REPRODUCTION: Asexual by fission and budding resulting in a dense cluster of clones

REMARKS: The presence of aggregations of C. californica increase the density of rock oysters and mussels by protecting them from predatory sea stars.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium 2016

Ron’s flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/2996776409/in/set-72157608597451452/

Ron’s WordPress  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1l0

eol eol.org/pages/1006944/details

 U. of Michigan ADWanimaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Corynactis_califo…

 Walla Walla Universitywww.wallawalla.edu/academics/departments/biology/rosario/…

 

 

 

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