Turbinaria radicalis

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Turbinaria radicalis

Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Dendrophylliidae
Genus: Turbinaria
Species:
T. radicalis
Binomial name
Turbinaria radicalis
Bernard, 1896 [2]

Turbinaria radicalis, also known as disc coral, is a

zooxanthellate coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues. It is a rare coral throughout its range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being "near-threatened".[1]

Description

Colonies of Turbinaria radicalis are encrusting and spread over rocks or have rootlets growing down into the substrate. The surface of the coral is smooth, and the corallites may be sunken or raised on shallow cones. They tend to be aligned in irregular rows. This coral is usually greenish-brown, pale or dark brown with contrasting pale corallites.[3]

Biology

Acanthastrea brevis is a zooxanthellate species of coral.[2] It obtains most of its nutritional needs from the symbiotic dinoflagellates that live inside its soft tissues. These photosynthetic organisms provide the coral with organic carbon and nitrogen, sometimes providing up to 90% of their host's energy needs for metabolism and growth. Its remaining needs are met by the planktonic organisms caught by the tentacles of the polyps.[4]

Status

This coral has a wide range but is rare except in a few subtropical localities. The main threats faced by this and other corals are related to

CITES Appendix II.[1]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T132985A3523207.en
    . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Hoeksema, B. (2015). "Turbinaria radicalis Bernard, 1896". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
  3. ^ "Turbinaria radicalis". Australian Institute of Marine Science. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
  4. ISBN 978-81-315-0104-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Turbinaria_radicalis&oldid=1054688565"