Oval mushroom coral (Lithophyllon repanda)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from SeaLifeBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Lithophyllon repanda is a species of mushroom or disc coral in the family Fungiidae. This species is able to move to another location on occasion. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) rated it as a least-concern species, and it was originally described by James Dwight Dana in 1846. It occurs at depths of 1 to 30 m.
- Scientific name
- Lithophyllon repanda
- Authority
- (Dana, 1846)
- Family
- Fungiidae
- Order
- Scleractinia
- Depth range
- 0–40 m
- Habitat zone
- reef-associated
- Iucn red list
- Endangered
- Gbif occurrence records
- 508
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Cnidaria · Class: Hexacorallia · Order: Scleractinia · Family: Fungiidae · Genus: Lithophyllon.
Accepted name: Lithophyllon repanda · Authority: (Dana, 1846) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 716653.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Fungia (Verrillofungia) repanda Dana, 1846; Fungia (Verrillofungia) samboangensis Vaughan, 1906; Fungia discus Dana, 1846; Fungia fungites var. discus Dana, 1846; Fungia integra Dana, 1846; Fungia linnaei Milne Edwards & Haime, 1851; Fungia repanda Dana, 1846; Fungia samboangensis Vaughan, 1906; Verrillofungia repanda (Dana, 1846).
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=716653 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Biology and life history (SeaLifeBase)
Measured values published by SeaLifeBase for Lithophyllon repanda. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Depth range: 0–40 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated.
Source: SeaLifeBase species summary (SpecCode 45846) — https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Lithophyllon-repanda.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
508 georeferenced occurrence records for Lithophyllon repanda are published through GBIF from 36 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 126 distinct locations from a sample of 508 records, omitting 16 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: Australia (203); Japan (75); Indonesia (29); Mayotte (19); Singapore (16); Marshall Islands (15); Philippines (14); French Polynesia (13); Papua New Guinea (12); United States Minor Outlying Islands (12); American Samoa (11); British Indian Ocean Territory (11); Fiji (8); Saudi Arabia (7); Cook Islands (6).
Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Indo-West Pacific; Fijian Exclusive Economic Zone.
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 7579650) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=7579650&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=716653 (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 Lithophyllon repanda (Dana, 1846) as Endangered (code EN). 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 132986) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/132986/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 7579650) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/7579650/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
L. repanda has thick and circular polyps with diameters of up to 300 mm, which are either arched or flat. Its septa are roughly equal and the septal teeth are visible. Its tentacles extend during the day and are pale in colour, but the species is without tentacular lobes. It has granular costal spines and the species is brown in colour. It reaches diameters of up to 23.5 cm.
It is found in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, the southwestern and northern Indian Ocean, eastern Africa, northern, eastern, and western Australia, the East China Sea, Japan, and the western and central Pacific Ocean. It is a common species and no population figures are available, but its population is believed to be declining in line with the global decline in coral reefs. It is threatened by coral disease, climate change, bleaching, predators, human activity, fishing, and parasites. A 1991 study discovered that 75% of observed specimens were bleached due to rising sea temperatures. It is rated as a least-concern species by the IUCN and is listed under CITES Appendix II. It is found at depths of between 1 and 30 m on flats and slopes of reefs.
It was originally described as Fungia repanda by Dana in 1846.
Source: Wikipedia: Lithophyllon repanda — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophyllon_repanda (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.
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