dcsimg
Image of Open brain coral

Open Brain Coral

Trachyphyllia geoffroyi (Audouin 1826)

Open brain coral

provided by wikipedia EN

The open brain coral (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi) is a brightly colored free-living coral species in the family Merulinidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Trachyphyllia and can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Description

Open brain corals can be solitary or colonial.[3] They are small corals, rarely reaching over 20 cm in diameter.[1] They are free-living and exhibit a flabello-meandroid growth form, meaning they have distinct valley regions separated by walls.[4][5] In colonial forms, the valley regions can contain multiple individual polyps.[5] Complexity of valley regions can range; some are hourglass shaped while other cans be highly lobed.[3] They typically have bilateral symmetry.[4] During the day when the polyp is closed, the coral is covered by a mantle that extends beyond the skeleton, but can retract when disturbed.[4][5] Polyps and mantle are very fleshy.[4] Colonies can be blue, green, yellow, brown, and are often vibrantly colored.[4][5]

The open brain coral is known to host a species of gall crab, Lithoscaptus semperi.[6]

Distribution and habitat

A red variety of Trachyphyllia in a reef aquarium

Open brain corals can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to New Caledonia. They are found up to a maximum depth of 40 meters.[1]

Open brain corals are less common directly in coral reef communities, and are more often found on sandy reef slopes, around continental islands, and lagoons.[3][5][1] Open brain corals can often be found near other free-living corals.[1][7] Large colonies of open brain corals are uncommon, and are typically only observed in marine protected areas.[1]

Threats

The IUCN lists open brain corals as "near threatened" due to habitat loss and over-harvesting for the aquarium trade.[1] The biggest exporter of open brain coral is Indonesia. In 2005, Indonesia exported over 60,000 open brain corals for use in the aquarium trade.[1]

Other threats to open brain corals include disease, acidification, and severe storms.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Sheppard, C.; Turak, E.; Wood, E. (2008). "Trachyphyllia geoffroyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T133260A3659374. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T133260A3659374.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Trachyphyllia geoffroyi". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Best, M.B. & Hoeksema, B.W. (1987). "New observations on scleractinian corals from Indonesia: 1. Free-living species belonging to the Faviina". Zoologische Mededelingen. 61 (27): 1–11.
  4. ^ a b c d e "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Trachyphyllia geoffroyi (Audouin, 1826)". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Corals of the World". www.coralsoftheworld.org. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  6. ^ van der Meij, Sancia E.T. (2015-04-27). "A new gall crab species (Brachyura, Cryptochiridae) associated with the free-living coral Trachyphyllia geoffroyi (Scleractinia, Merulinidae)". ZooKeys (500): 61–72. doi:10.3897/zookeys.500.9244. ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 4432240. PMID 25987871.
  7. ^ Veron, J.E.N. (1986). Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. London: Angus & Robertson Publishers. p. 538.
license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Open brain coral: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

The open brain coral (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi) is a brightly colored free-living coral species in the family Merulinidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Trachyphyllia and can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Biology

provided by World Register of Marine Species
zooxanthellate

Reference

van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO).

license
cc-by-4.0
copyright
WoRMS Editorial Board
contributor
Jacob van der Land [email]

Description

provided by World Register of Marine Species
Colonies are flabello-meandroid and free-living. They are usually bilaterally symmetrical, up to 80 mm in length with one to three separate mouths. Large, fully flabello-meandroid colonies are uncommon. Valleys have large, regular septa and paliform lobes and a large columella tangle. Polyps are fleshy. When retracted during the day, a large mantle extends well beyond the perimeter of the skeleton, but this retracts if disturbed. At night, tentacles in several rows are extended from the expanded oral disc inside the mantle. The mouth is about 10 mm across. Colour: polyps, especially the mantles, are brightly coloured and are commonly yellow, brown, blue or green. Abundance: rare on reefs, common around continental islands and some inter-reef areas. Frequently found with other free-living corals. Large colonies are found only in certain protected shallow island embayments. (Veron, 1986 )

Reference

Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 118 (Includes a picture).

license
cc-by-4.0
copyright
WoRMS Editorial Board
contributor
Edward Vanden Berghe [email]