Diaseris distorta, an “Acrobatic” Coral

Abstract

Diaseris distorta (Michelin), a free living scleractinian coral, is a common fungiid in muddy sands such as those on the leeward side of Lizard Island in the Australian Great Barrier Reef (Australian Survey Map SD 55.9, grid reference 33143). Goreau and Yonge¹ collected the specimens here described from this locality, in 12 m of water, where densities reacheda thousand per square metre. In these clones most of the corals were lessthan 10 mm in diameter. Eighteen months later, when their activities wereinvestigated, these specimens, less than 10 mm in diameter, were still active in the open sea-water aquarium at Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory, Jamaica.