Striped Bum Coral (species: Heterocyathus aequicostatus) in taxonomy (Gaia Guide)
Animalia > Radiata > Cnidaria > Anthozoa > Anthozoa > Hexacorallia > Scleractinia > Caryophylliina > Caryophylliidae > Heterocyathus > Heterocyathus aequicostatus (gallery)
Heterocyathus aequicostatus
Striped Bum Coral


©Anne: Heterocyathus aequicostatus at Watson's Bay, Lizard Island, 17 metres depth

©Anne: Heterocyathus aequicostatus at Watson's Bay, Lizard Island, 17 metres depth

©Anne: A sipunculan worm, Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) muelleri, is an obligate commensal of Heterocyathus aequicostatus. It can move the coral by extending its proboscis through a hole in the base of the coral.

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Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Cnidaria
Class Anthozoa
Order Scleractinia
Family Caryophylliidae
Genus Heterocyathus
Species Heterocyathus aequicostatus

Colours

              

Distinguishing features

Distinguishing features still need to be specified.

Size

  • Size data has not been obtained.

Synonyms

Interesting facts

  • These small free-lving corals are mobile due to their obligatory association with sipunculan worm, Aspidosiphon muelleri (Fisk, 1983)

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Web resources

References

  • Fisk, D.A. (1983). Free-living corals: distributions according to plant cover, sediments, hydrodynamics, depth and biological factors, Marine Biology, 74: 287-294. LIRS catalog number 107.