WoRMS taxon details
original description
Dana, J.D. (1846-1849). Zoophytes. United States Exploring Expedition during the years 1838-1842. <em>Lea and Blanchard, Philadelphia.</em> 7: 1-740, 61 pls. (1846: 1-120, 709-720; 1848: 121-708, 721-740; 1849: atlas pls. 1-61)., available online at http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/usexex/navigation/ScientificText/USExEx19_08select.cfm [details]
original description
(of Funginellidae Alloiteau, 1952 †) Alloiteau J. (1952). Embranchement des Coelentérés. Madreporaires Post-Paleozoiques. <em>In: Piveteau J, ed. Traité de Paléontologie, Paris: Masson.</em> 539–684, pls. 1-10. [details]
basis of record
Hoeksema BW. (1989). Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae. <em>Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden.</em> 254: 1-295., available online at http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/149013 [details]
additional source
Gittenberger A, Reijnen BT, Hoeksema BW. (2011). A molecularly based phylogeny reconstruction of mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) with taxonomic consequences and evolutionary implications for life history traits. <em>Contributions to Zoology.</em> 80: 107-132., available online at https://brill.com/downloadpdf/journals/ctoz/80/2/article-p107_2.xml [details]
additional source
Wells JW. (1966). Evolutionary development in the scleractinian family Fungiidae. In: Rees WJ (ed.) The Cnidaria and their evolution. <em>Symposium of the Zoological Society of London Academic Press, London.</em> 16: 223–246, pl. 1. [details]
additional source
Veron JEN. (2000). Corals of the World. Vol. 1–3. <em>Australian Institute of Marine Science and CRR, Queensland, Australia.</em> [details]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Diagnosis Corallum monostomatous (solitary) or polystomatous by development of secondary stomata. Corallum zooxantellate, free or attached (on a stalk or encrusting), in some species reproducing by transverse division (autotomy). Corallum wall solid or perforate. Low order septa imperforate, high order septa perforate. Septa laminar and connected laterally by bar-like elements called "compound synapticulae" or "fulturae". Margins of septo-costae variable in shape by simple or complex ornamentation, usually species-specific. Range: Indo-Pacific, shallow water. [details]Unverified
Description Most reef fungiids are free-living . The polyps are among the largest of all corals. These solitary forms have a long fossil history extending back to the early origins of the Scleractinia. It is therefore likely that the colonial genera have evolved from the solitary ones, rather than the reverse. This theory is supported by the fact that the structure of the septa of each colonial genus has an equivalent in one of the subgenera of Fungia.
As a general rule, corals with one mouth are called solitary and those with many mouths are called colonial, but clearly this distinction is not always well defined, nor is it basic to the structural organisation of several species. Little is known about many very important aspects of the biology of free-living fungiids, especially their population dynamics, food sources and growth rates. One distinct aspect of the daily existence of all but the heaviest fungiids is that they are at least partially mobile. The genera are solitary or colonial, free-living or attached, mostly hermatypic and extant. Colonial genera are derived from solitary genera and each has septo-costal structures corresponding to those of a solitary genus. These septo-costae radiate from the mouth on the upper surface (as septa) and from the centre of the undersurface (as costae). No similar families. (Veron, 1986 <57>). [details]
| |