Cycloseris distorta

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Cnidaria · Class: Hexacorallia · Order: Scleractinia · Family: Fungiidae · Genus: Cycloseris.

Accepted name: Cycloseris distorta · Authority: (Michelin, 1842) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 207326.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Cycloseris (Diaseris) distorta (Michelin, 1842); Cycloseris freycineti (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851); Cycloseris mexicana Durham, 1947; Diaseris distorta (Michelin, 1842); Diaseris pulchella Verrill, 1866; Dioseris distorta (Michelin, 1842); Fungia (Cycloseris) distorta Michelin, 1842; Fungia distorta Michelin, 1842; Fungia freycineti (Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851); Fungia mexicana (Durham, 1947); Fungia patella var. dubia Döderlein, 1902; Fungia pulchella (Verrill, 1866).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=207326 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)

Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Cycloseris distorta. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Depth range: 0–475 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated.

SeaLifeBase notes: Maximum depth from Ref. 120529. Can be found in shallow waters (Ref. 122680).

Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 105373) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Cycloseris-distorta.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

270 georeferenced occurrence records for Cycloseris distorta are published through GBIF from 26 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 71 distinct locations from a sample of 270 records, omitting 14 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Mexico (120); Australia (19); United States of America (19); Ecuador (13); Japan (13); Philippines (12); Marshall Islands (9); Maldives (7); New Caledonia (7); Costa Rica (6); Tanzania, United Republic of (6); Fiji (5); Mozambique (5); India (4); British Indian Ocean Territory (4).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Marshall Islands Exclusive Economic Zone; Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 4283635) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=4283635&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=207326 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Cycloseris distorta (Michelin, 1842) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 133371) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/133371/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 4283635) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/4283635/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

This coral was first described by the French naturalist Jean-Louis Hardouin Michelin de Choisy in 1842 who named it Fungia distorta. It was later transferred to the genus Diaseris becoming Diaseris distorta. In 2011, research using molecular methods resulted in Diaseris being absorbed into the genus Cycloseris.

Cycloseris distorta is a solitary, free-living coral that grows to a diameter of about 80 mm. The large polyp is irregular in shape and has a central mouth from which radiate wedge-shaped segments. The corallite (the stony cup in which the polyp sits) has numerous beaded septa (partitions) of varying heights. The polyp can absorb water from its surroundings and inflate itself to several times its original size. When the tentacles are extended to feed, it has a fuzzy appearance. This coral is some shade of cream or pale fawn, and may be mottled.

Cycloseris distorta occurs in the tropical and subtropical Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Its range extends from the east coast of Africa and Madagascar to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, northern and eastern Australia and the Galapagos Islands. It occurs on soft sediments, usually at depths of 25 m or less, but occasionally down to about 80 m.

In the Galapagos Islands, this species is known from a single location. The population there, estimated to be several hundred thousand individuals, is so dense that the corals are sometimes piled on top of each other. On a nearby island, there is a location where there are large numbers of dead skeletons of this species, but no living individuals.

Individual corals are either male or female. Fecundity is high and broadcast spawning takes place four to eight times per year. Asexual reproduction by fission is an important means of reproduction for this species. The coral may be fragmented due to physical forces, such as storms, but it is also capable of autotomy, causing itself to break apart through selective weakening of certain parts of the skeleton.

Source: Wikipedia: Cycloseris distorta — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycloseris_distorta (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.