Slug-like Mushroom Coral (Herpolitha limax)

Also known as Creeping Stone Slug, Fungi Coral, Fungiid Coral, Limax Mole Coral, Mole Coral, Mushroom Coral, Slipper Coral, Slipper Mushroom Coral, Striate Boomerang Coral, Tongue Coral

Description

Also known as Creeping Stone Slug, Fungi Coral, Fungiid Coral, Limax Mole Coral, Mole Coral, Mushroom Coral, Slipper Coral, Slipper Mushroom Coral, Striate Boomerang Coral, Tongue Coral.

Found on sandy bottoms, over coral and rocky reef tops and slopes, of lagoons and seaward reefs. Colour varies from brown, green, or yellow.
They feed on plankton.
Length - 100cm
Depth - 1-40m
Widespread Indo-Pacific

Stony corals have hard stony skeletons, their polyps have six tentacles or are made up of multiples of six. These are usually nocturnal, however if the sky's are overcast, then many will feed during the day.
Generally the more robust corals life on exposed areas, while the smaller corals live in sheltered lagoons or deeper waters.
Stony corals are reef building corals and embedded in their flesh are thousands of minute single-celled marine plants called zooxanthellae which accounts for their colour.
These corals support a huge diversity of life, their main predator being the crown-of-thorns sea star. (edit) Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpolitha

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