Mycetophyllia danaana
If you’ve been diving in the Caribbean chances are you come acrossMycetophyllia danaana. This coral forms round plates with a mounded form, thicker in the center of the colony tapering to a narrow perimeter.Mycetophyllia danaanais the chunkiest of theMycetophylliaspecies.
It can be challenging to differentiate between all five species ofMycetophyllia. While some will have a clear distinction others straddle the line between two species. We went back and forth on a few of these photos while trying to narrow down what sets them apart.
The ridges and valleys ofMycetophyllia danaanacan be connected across the coral forming deep sinuous valleys. While other times the ridges break apart forming little nodes called monticules.These monticules can appear to have a skirt of tentacles similar toHydnophoracorals.
The valleys of this coral all radiate from a central point of growth as the coral expands. These corals grow by adding skeleton around the rim of the coral and growing outward to form a mound or disk share. Inside the valleys is a single row of polyps and it is rare but not impossible to have two rows of polyps between ridges.
LOW-RIDGE CACTUS CORAL
The common name forMycetophylliais cactus coral, andM. danaanais known as the Low-Ridge Cactus Coral. The other four species ofMycetophylliaareM. aliciae,M. ferox, M. lamarckiana and M. reesi.
The texture ofM. danaanais somewhat rough as the coral tissues follow the pattern of the rigid calcium carbonate skeleton below. This coral is found in a variety of colors from gray, pink, or green with valleys of a different color.
