''Rhodactis inchoata'', otherwise known as the bullseye mushroom or Tonga blue mushroom, is a species of

mushroom coral The Fungiidae () are a family of Cnidaria, commonly known as mushroom corals or plate corals. The family contains thirteen extant genera. They range from solitary corals to colonial species. Some genera such as ''Cycloseris'' and '' Fungia'' ar ...

in the genus

Rhodactis ''Rhodactis'' is genus of Mushroom coral The Fungiidae () are a family of Cnidaria, commonly known as mushroom corals or plate corals. The family contains thirteen extant genera. They range from solitary corals to colonial species. Some gene ...

, this species is also, but more uncommonly, referred to as the hairy or small elephant ear mushroom. This species of Rhodactis cnidarian can also sometimes be kept in

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

s, and mostly prefers low to medium lighting in the room where it is kept in, and a low level in water movement, which makes this species easy to keep in an aquarium.

Aquarium care

This species of coral mostly prefers low to medium light, and low lighting in general, in its environment, as well as low-water movement, which makes this species easy to maintain in an aquarium, which normally requires for the coral to be in the lower-regions of the aquarium tank, seeing as how it will be partially shaded off from all other light sources which might disturb it. The species itself is semi-aggressive, which, if you put it in a aquarium tank, you will have to be precise where abouts you put it, as it might damage, or even kill, other species in the tank itself due to how it is semi-aggressive in behaviour, and proper spacing ''must'' be observed in the tank.

Symbiotic relationships

''Rhodactis inchoata'' has a symbiotic relationship with the species of

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

called

zooxanthellae Zooxanthellae is a colloquial term for single-celled dinoflagellates that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including demosponges, corals, jellyfish, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthellae are in the genus ''Sy ...

, and this species of

is contained within the tissues of ''R. inchoata''. But when in captivity, you are required to feed this species

nanoplankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucia ...

, but you may add dissolved organics in the water itself if needed to.

Distribution

''Rhodactis inchoata'' can be found in the waters of the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

ocean.

Description

''Rhodactis inchoata'' possess a small surface which is covered with tentacles , those tentacles form small clusters which give this species a unique appearance when comparing it to other corals. The stalk of this species is relatively small, and is often not noticed when spotted in a reef. The area around the oral disk of this species is bare, which makes ''R. inochoata'' an easy species to identify when going

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...

or when looking for it. ''R. inochoata'' can sometimes be found with purple bodies, and green margins, highlights of these margins include multicoloured green, red and blue, and while also possessing a red coloured mouth. This species can actually warp to the surface of the oral disc, which changes the water flow around them and direct particulate and flocculent material which they then move to their mucous-covered centre in order to absorb the material. ''R. inochoata'' has been known to grow up to 1.5 - 3" (4 - 8 cm), however, the lifespan of this species has not been documented yet, leaving people puzzled about how long ''R. inochoata'' lives for.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3999220 Discosomidae Corallimorpharia Hexacorallia Species described in 1943 Aquatic animals