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By Bob Fenner

/Wiki:

Lobophylliidae is a family of large polyp stony corals. The family was created in 2009 after a revision of the "robust" families of Faviidae, Merulinidae, Mussidae and Pectiniidae, which had been shown to be polyphyletic. The family Lobophylliidae was formed out of the Indo-Pacific species that had traditionally been included in Mussidae, and some of the species which had previously formed Pectiniidae, the remaining species from Pectiniidae having been merged into Merulinidae.^[2] The type genus is Lobophyllia.

Taxonomy[edit]

The "robust" stony coral families of Faviidae, Merulinidae, Mussidae and Pectiniidae, have traditionally been recognised on morphological grounds but recent molecular analysis has shown that these families are polyphyletic, the similarities between the species having occurred through convergent evolution. Additionally, some traditional genera such as Favia and Scolymia have been found to be polyphyletic, with the Atlantic faviids and scolymids being more closely related to each other than they are to their Indo-Pacific relatives. A revised classification, proposed in 2012, places the Pacific species of Mussidae in a new family, Lobophylliidae and retains the taxon Mussidae for the Atlantic species.^[2] In the revision, the genera Echinomorpha, Echinophyllia and Oxypora were transferred to Lobophylliidae from Pectiniidae and the genus Moseleya from elsewhere.^[3]

Genera[edit]The World Register of Marine Species includes the following genera in the family:^[1]

• Acanthastrea Milne Edwards & Haime, 1848
• Australophyllia Benzoni & Arrigoni, 2016
• Cynarina Brüggemann, 1877
• Echinomorpha Veron, 2000
• Echinophyllia Klunzinger, 1879
• Homophyllia Brüggemann, 1877
• Lobophyllia de Blainville, 1830
• Micromussa Veron, 2000
• Moseleya Quelch, 1884
• Oxypora Saville-Kent, 1871
• Sclerophyllia Klunzinger, 1879

 

^{<RMF has not moved these genera to this new family here on WWM; being slow to do so to help people as practical husbandry types, to find pertinent literature, which is mainly still identified w/ older/more established taxonomic schemes; and hoping/knowing that people WILL USE search tools by genus, at times species, to find information here. >} <<2/20, starting to...>>

 

Genus Homophyllia:  /WA Coral: • solitary saucer shaped polyp sometimes with multiple centres • fleshy mantle • often occurs in temperate zones

Genus Echinophyllia Klunzinger 1859: Highly variable in color,  encrusting or laminar colonies showing rounded ridges that are free of the substrate; folds with large, dissimilar size, obvious corallites occasionally rising,  pointed in different directions.
Septae/Costae dentate. At times there is a large, central corallite. An aggressive group of corals with strong stinging sweeper tentacles (note absence of other life around natural colonies below), at night when their tentacles are extended. This genus now included in the family Lobophyllidae by some. Moved from family Pectiniidae on WWM.

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Echinophyllia aspera (Ellis and Solander 1788). Common in all of its found regions, Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, east Africa to Tahiti. Below: Close ups of open and closed  (night/day) polyps, and a day time retracted/skeleton image in the Red Sea.

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Echinophyllia costata Fenner & Veron 2000. Colonies of thin laminae/blades, with distinct, evenly-spaced corallites. Septo-costae cross corallites in parallel bands.

Echinophyllia echinata (Saville-Kent 1871). Flat, initially vase-shaped colonies. Come in mottled greens, browns, reds. Fiji images.

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Genus Micromussa:  /WA Coral: • small (<1cm) angular corallites • ceroid • thick fleshy mantle often brightly coloured

 

Genus Moseleya:  /WA Coral: • large (>4cm) angular corallites • ceroid • often large central corallite • common in intertidal and high silt habitats

 

Genus Oxypora Saville-Kent 1871, Scroll, Chalice Coral: Made up of thin encrusting or laminar leaf-like colonies whose edges have a small costal ridge. Costae have teeth like edge. You can see slits in the skeleton when colonies have flesh w/ drawn, light is shone through. Tentacles open only at night. Formerly part of the family Pectiniidae.
 

Verticals (Full/Cover Page Sizes Available)

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Oxypora lacera (Verrill 1864) Scroll or Chalice Coral. Composed of thin lamina, scroll-like, that may be greatly thickened in areas of substantial water movement. Costae toothed (differentiating characteristic). Right: Close up pic by DiF in the Red Sea. Below one Red Sea and Bunaken/Sulawesi/Indonesia image.

Oxypora glabra Nemenzo 1857. Colonies as thin convoluted plates.

 

Oxypora lacera (Verrill 1864) Scroll or Chalice Coral. Composed of thin lamina, scroll-like, that may be greatly thickened in areas of substantial water movement. Costae toothed (differentiating characteristic).  Red Sea colony.

Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size.