corallimorphs text index | photo index
Phylum Cnidaria > Class Anthozoa > Subclass Zoantharia/Hexacorallia > Order Corallimorpharia
Ridged corallimorph
Platyzoanthus mussoides
Family Discosomidae
updated Jul 2024

Where seen? These little ridged disk-like animal is sometimes seen on our Southern shores, growing on coral rubble.

Features: Each polyp about 4-5cm in diameter, in a group of 5-10. Oral disk has a ridged surface. In some the ridges form a maze-like pattern, in others the ridges radiate in a straight line from the central mouth. The mouth is usually held upturned. Colours seen a uniform unpatterned brown, dark to orangey or pinkish brown.

Status and threats: There is inadequate information as at 2024 to make an informed assesment of its conservation status in Singapore.

Sisters Island, Jan 12


Sisters Islands, Feb 06

Splitting up into two?

Sentosa, Jun 06

St John's Island, Aug 05

*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, the animals are grouped by external features for convenience of display.

Ridged corallimorphs on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Terumbu Bemban, Jun 10
Photo shared by James Koh on his blog.

Terumbu Semakau, Jun 22
Photo shared by James Koh on facebook.


Terumbu Salu, Jan 10

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his flickr.

Terumbu Bemban, Jul 11

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog.

Pulau Salu, Apr 21

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

References

  • Checklist of Cnidaria (non-Sclerectinia) Species with their Category of Threat Status for Singapore by Yap Wei Liang Nicholas, Oh Ren Min, Iffah Iesa in G.W.H. Davidson, J.W.M. Gan, D. Huang, W.S. Hwang, S.K.Y. Lum, D.C.J. Yeo, 2024. The Singapore Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore. 3rd edition. National Parks Board. 258 pp.
  • Ren Min Oh, Mei Lin Neo, Nicholas Wei Liang Yap, Sudhanshi Sanjeev Jain, Ria Tan, Chaolun Allen Chen and Danwei Huang Citizen science meets integrated taxonomy to uncover the diversity and distribution of Corallimorpharia in Singapore, The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Volume 67, Pp. 306-321.
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