Turbinaria bifrons

Turbinaria bifrons
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Hexacorallia
Order:	Scleractinia
Family:	Dendrophylliidae
Genus:	Turbinaria
Species:	T. bifrons
Binomial name
Turbinaria bifrons Brüggemann, 1877
Synonyms
List Turbinaria aequalis Quelch, 1886 Turbinaria dendrophyllia Bernard, 1896 Turbinaria gracilis Bernard, 1896 Turbinaria nidifera Bernard, 1896

Turbinaria bifrons, commonly known as disc coral, is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Dendrophylliidae. 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 has rated its conservation status as being "vulnerable".

Description

Turbinaria bifrons is a zooxanthellate hermatypic coral 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 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 2 and 25 metres (6 ft 7 in and 82 ft 0 in) 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.