''Turbinaria bifrons'', commonly known as disc coral, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of colonial stony coral in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Dendrophylliidae Dendrophylliidae is a family of stony corals. Most (but not all) members are azooxanthellate and thus have to capture food with their tentacles instead of relying on photosynthesis to produce their food. The World Register of Marine Species incl ...

. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region. It is a zooxanthellate coral that houses symbiont dinoflagellates in its tissues. This is an uncommon species and the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has rated its conservation status as being " vulnerable".

Description

''Turbinaria bifrons'' is a zooxanthellate

hermatypic coral Hermatypic corals are those corals in the order Scleractinia which build reefs by depositing hard calcareous material for their skeletons, forming the stony framework of the reef. Corals that do not contribute to coral reef development are referred ...

and its tissues contain symbiont dinoflagellates. Its colonies begin as thin layers that become bifacial fronds that are vertical and elongated. It has conical corallites with regular shapes and sizes. The coral is mostly brown, green or grey in colour.

Distribution

It is classed as a vulnerable species on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

and it is believed that its population is decreasing in line with the global decline of coral reefs; the species is also listed under Appendix II of CITES. Figures of its population are unknown, but is likely to be threatened by the global reduction of coral reefs, the increase of temperature causing coral bleaching, climate change, human activity, parasites, and disease. This uncommon species occurs in the eastern Indian Ocean, Australia, Japan, the South China Sea, and the northwestern, southwestern, and western central Pacific Ocean. It is found at depths of between in subtropical rocky areas and shallow reefs.

Taxonomy

It was described as ''Turbinaria bifrons'' by Brüggemann in 1877. It is also known by synonyms ''Turbinaria aequalis'', ''Turbinaria dendrophyllia'', ''Turbinaria gracilis'', and ''Turbinaria nidifera''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3946251 Dendrophylliidae Corals described in 1877 Taxa named by Friedrich Brüggemann