Turbinaria frondens

Turbinaria frondens
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Anthozoa
Order:	Scleractinia
Family:	Dendrophylliidae
Genus:	Turbinaria
Species:	T. frondens
Binomial name
	Turbinaria frondens; (Dana, 1846) [2]
Synonyms
	List Gemmipora frondens Dana, 1846; Turbinaria abnormalis Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria aurantiaca Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria contorta Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria danae Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria edwardsi Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria foliosa Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria frondescens Milne Edwards, 1860; Turbinaria magna Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria pustulosa Bernard, 1896; Turbinaria ramosa Yabe & Sugiyama, 1941; Turbinaria rugosa Bernard, 1896;

Turbinaria frondens, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is a zooxanthellate coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues.

This is a common species throughout its wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Description

Colonies of Turbinaria frondens are variable and may be massive, encrusting, cup-shaped, foliaceous or columnar. They are initially cup-shaped and develop lobes and fronds, either upright or horizontal, often irregularly contorted. The lobes are one-sided with corallites only on one surface. The corallites are cone-shaped, about 2 mm (0.08 in) in diameter. They protrude on convex surfaces but are immersed and crowded close together on concave surfaces. This coral is usually dark brown, greenish-brown or grey.[2][3] The colonies can grow to a width of about one metre.[1]

Distribution and habitat

Turbinaria frondens is native to the Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from East Africa and the Red Sea to Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and northern Australia. It is found on shallow-water reefs and rocky foreshores at depths from about 7 to 20 m (23 to 66 ft).[1]

Ecology

Turbinaria frondens is gonochoristic, with colonies being either male or female. Breeding takes place synchronously with all the colonies in an area liberating their gametes into the sea shortly after the full moon in October.[4]

Status

Turbinaria frondens is a common species throughout its wide range and is likely to be more resistant than other species to some of the problems facing corals which include ocean acidification, global climate change, coral diseases and coral bleaching. The chief threat it faces is the destruction of its reef habitats. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]

References

Hoeksema, B.W.; Rogers, A.; Quibilan, M.C. (2008). "Turbinaria frondens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T133146A3601023. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T133146A3601023.en.
Hoeksema, B. (2015). "Turbinaria frondens (Dana, 1846)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
Chang-feng Dai; Sharon Horng (2009). Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan: Complex group. National Taiwan University Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-986-01-8744-1.
Richmond,Robert H.; Hunter, Cynthia L. (1990). "Reproduction and recruitment of corals: comparisons among the Caribbean, the Tropical Pacific, and the Red Sea" (PDF). Marine Ecology Progress Series. 60: 185–203. doi:10.3354/meps060185.

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[iucn-1] Hoeksema, B.W.; Rogers, A.; Quibilan, M.C. (2008). "Turbinaria frondens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T133146A3601023. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T133146A3601023.en.

[WoRMS-2] Hoeksema, B. (2015). "Turbinaria frondens (Dana, 1846)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2015-04-19.

[Chang-3] Chang-feng Dai; Sharon Horng (2009). Scleractinia Fauna of Taiwan: Complex group. National Taiwan University Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-986-01-8744-1.

[4] Richmond,Robert H.; Hunter, Cynthia L. (1990). "Reproduction and recruitment of corals: comparisons among the Caribbean, the Tropical Pacific, and the Red Sea" (PDF). Marine Ecology Progress Series. 60: 185–203. doi:10.3354/meps060185.