John Miller
Mushroom coral, a species of Hawaiian stony coral, is named for its oval shape and radiating skeletal walls that give it a mushroom-like appearance. Unlike most corals, mushroom corals are attached to the reef only when they are small. As they grow, they live loose on the seafloor. They are suspension feeders and collect particles dropping from the seawater with hair-like cilia on their surface. Mushroom corals are also found on land, such as in the forests of Minnesota and the Midwest, and are consumed both raw and cooked.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Species | Ricordea, Discosoma, Rhodactis, Ramaria stricta, Crown Tipped Coral |
| Appearance | Oval shape, radiating skeletal walls, mushroom-like appearance, slit-like mouth, widely spaced stubby tentacles |
| Habitat | Hawaiian reefs, forest ground, bases of trees, especially spruce trees, between 7,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation |
| Behavior | Suspension feeders, use hair-like cilia to collect food particles, reproduce sexually and asexually |
| Human Consumption | Can be consumed raw or cooked, but may cause gastrointestinal issues; can be poisonous if not prepared properly |
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What You'll Learn
Mushroom coral is native to Hawaii
Mushroom coral is a solitary species, with each coral being a single polyp, unlike most other Hawaiian corals that form colonies. In mushroom coral, the central mouth is slit-like, and the broad polyp surface is covered with widely spaced, stubby tentacles. They are suspension feeders, collecting particles from seawater with hair-like cilia on the disc surface, which then carry food particles to the mouth and dispose of non-food particles at the edge of the disc.
Mushroom coral is attached to the reef when it is young, connected by a limestone pedestal. As it grows, the pedestal breaks, and the coral lives unattached on the seafloor with its mouth side up. Mushroom coral is one of the reef-building corals that contain symbiotic algal cells (zooxanthellae) living inside their cells. The zooxanthellae use nutrients from the water and their coral hosts, as well as sunlight, to generate energy-rich compounds through photosynthesis. This mutually beneficial relationship is essential to the formation of extensive reef environments, enhancing the corals' ability to produce the massive limestone skeletons that make up the reef framework.
Mushroom corals are also found in home aquariums, where they are popular with reef-aquarium hobbyists due to their diverse colours, textures, and unique physical characteristics. They are fed coral foods and meaty treats, and they have the ability to move themselves, a phenomenon known as "walking".
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They are found on quiet water reefs
Mushroom coral is native to Hawaii, where it is one of the most recognisable species of stony corals. It is named for its oval shape and the radiating skeletal walls (septa) that give it a mushroom-like appearance. Mushroom corals are suspension feeders, collecting particles dropping from the seawater with hair-like cilia on their disc surface.
Mushroom corals are found on quiet water reefs, such as those in Kāneʻohe Bay, where solitary individuals live detached from the reef. Unlike most other corals, mushroom corals do not form colonies. Each mushroom coral is a single polyp, with a central slit-like mouth and a broad polyp surface covered with widely spaced, stubby tentacles.
Mushroom corals are reef-building corals, with symbiotic algal cells (zooxanthellae) living inside their cells. These zooxanthellae use nutrients from the water and their coral hosts, as well as sunlight, to generate energy-rich compounds through photosynthesis. This mutually beneficial relationship enhances the corals' ability to produce the massive limestone skeletons that contribute to the reef framework.
Young mushroom corals are attached to the reef framework by a limestone pedestal. As they grow, they break free from the pedestal and live unattached on the seafloor. Mushroom corals release eggs or sperm into the seawater when they spawn. The resulting larva, called a planula, drifts until it settles onto a reef surface and starts the cycle of polyp formation.
In addition to their presence in Hawaiian reefs, mushroom corals are also popular among reef-aquarium hobbyists. Mushroom corals should be placed in areas of low to moderate flow ranges and lower-light areas, as exposure to high light can bleach and damage them.
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Mushroom coral is a solitary species
Mushroom coral, a species of stony coral native to Hawaii, is distinguished by its oval shape and radiating skeletal walls (septa) that resemble a mushroom. Unlike most other Hawaiian corals, mushroom coral is a solitary species that does not form colonies. Each mushroom coral is a single polyp, with a slit-like central mouth and a broad polyp surface adorned with sparse, stubby tentacles.
Mushroom corals are suspension feeders, employing hair-like cilia on the disc surface to capture food particles from seawater and transport them to the mouth. They are also capable of moving, a phenomenon known as "walking," allowing them to relocate within an aquarium if they are initially placed in an undesirable location.
In the wild, mushroom corals are found on quiet water reefs, such as those in Kāneʻohe Bay, where they live detached from the reef as solitary individuals. Young mushroom corals begin their lives attached to the reef framework by a limestone pedestal, which breaks off as the polyp grows, resulting in the coral living unattached with the mouth side up.
Mushroom corals are unique among reef-building corals in that they are attached to the reef only during their early stages of life. As they mature, they detach from the reef and live loose on the seafloor. This sets them apart from most other Hawaiian corals, which tend to form colonies.
In addition to their solitary nature, mushroom corals exhibit remarkable reproductive capabilities. They can reproduce both sexually and asexually, with asexual reproduction being more common in home aquariums. A single mushroom coral can generate many others through a budding process, where a small piece of tissue from the mushroom's foot breaks off and develops into a new individual.
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They are suspension feeders
Mushroom coral, a species native to Hawaii, is distinguished by its oval shape and radiating skeletal walls, resembling a mushroom. It is also known as razor coral due to its sharp septa. Unlike most other Hawaiian corals, mushroom corals are individual polyps that do not form colonies. They are suspension feeders, employing hair-like cilia on their disc surface to capture particles from seawater.
Suspension feeding, also referred to as passive suspension feeding, is a process where corals actively filter sediment and capture particulate food from the water. This includes fine suspended particulate matter (SPM) and various food sources such as zooplankton, phytoplankton, and bacteria. The cilia on the mushroom coral's disc surface play a crucial role in this process, directing food particles towards the central slit-like mouth while disposing of non-food particles to the edge of the disc.
Mushroom corals, like other reef-building corals, have symbiotic algal cells (zooxanthellae) living within their cells. These zooxanthellae contribute to the coral's ability to produce massive limestone skeletons that form the reef framework. Through photosynthesis, zooxanthellae utilise nutrients from the water, sunlight, and their coral hosts to generate energy-rich compounds. This symbiotic relationship is essential for the formation and maintenance of extensive reef environments.
In terms of classification, mushroom corals are an oddity. They possess soft bodies and lack a skeleton, often associating them with soft corals or anemones. However, taxonomically, they share more similarities with stony corals due to their polyp segments being in multiples of six. The Rhodactis genus of mushroom corals exhibits diverse colour combinations, textures, and sizes, making them a popular choice for reef aquarium enthusiasts.
Suspension feeding plays a vital role in energy transfer within benthic communities. The availability of seston, or live and dead particles in the water column, is a critical factor influencing the distribution, energy fluxes, and biological constraints of suspension feeders. Environmental factors such as hydrodynamics, water temperature, and food concentration can also impact the polyp activity of suspension feeders.
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Mushroom coral is a reef-building species
Mushroom coral, a reef-building species, is one of the most recognisable types of Hawaiian stony corals. It gets its name from its oval shape and radiating skeletal walls (septa) that give it a mushroom-like appearance. These sharp septa also give rise to another common name, razor coral. Mushroom corals are suspension feeders and collect particles dropping from seawater with hair-like cilia on their disc surface. They are found on quiet water reefs like those in Kāneʻohe Bay, where solitary individuals live detached from the reef.
Mushroom corals are similar to other reef-building corals in that they contain symbiotic algal cells (zooxanthellae) that live inside their cells. Using nutrients from the water and their coral hosts, as well as sunlight, zooxanthellae generate energy-rich compounds through photosynthesis. Reef-building corals owe their success as builders to these tiny partners, as the zooxanthellae's photosynthetic processing enhances their ability to produce the massive limestone skeletons that contribute to the reef framework.
The formation of extensive reef environments would be impossible without this mutually beneficial relationship. Young mushroom corals are attached to the reef framework by a limestone pedestal. As they grow, they break free from the pedestal and live unattached on the seafloor. A single pedestal can generate many mushroom corals, which is similar to the budding process that creates colonies in other corals. However, unlike most corals, adult mushroom corals do not form colonies, and each mushroom coral is a single polyp.
Mushroom corals are popular among reef-aquarium hobbyists due to their diverse colours, textures, and unique physical characteristics. They are commonly kept in aquariums and are placed in areas of low to moderate flow ranges with lower lighting, as exposure to high light can bleach and damage them. They are also known for their ability to "walk" or move themselves to a suitable spot within the aquarium.
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Frequently asked questions
Mushroom corals are found in Hawaii, where they are recognised as one of the most distinct species of stony corals.
Mushroom corals are found in quiet water reefs in Hawaii, such as in Kāneʻohe Bay.
Mushroom corals grow from an original mushroom coral larva that settles on the reef. Young mushroom corals are attached to the reef framework by a limestone pedestal. As they grow, they break off from the pedestal and live unattached on the seafloor.
Mushroom corals are named for their oval shape and radiating skeletal walls (septa) that give them a mushroom-like appearance. They are usually solitary and do not form colonies like other corals.
Other types of coral mushrooms include Crown Tipped Coral, Ramaria Stricta, and Coral of the Woods. Crown Tipped Coral is found in farmer's markets and speciality grocers, primarily east of the Rocky Mountains. Ramaria Stricta is found in the boreal forest region of Minnesota. Coral of the Woods is found in the forest ground or at the bases of trees, especially spruce trees, between 7,000 and 9,000 feet in elevation.
