What plate corals reproduce asexually?

duberii · Jul 30, 2020

I was browsing a build thread and somebody mentioned that their heliofungia has developed buds around the edge of the polyp. Other plate corals like diaseris (now cycloseris) fragillis can form breaking points in the plate that can naturally pop off to asexually reproduce. Fungias also "reproduce" when the coral recedes then several polyps regrow, though I'm not too interested in that method because it has to do with the loss of the main specimen. My question is- are these qualities unique to heliofungia and diaseris corals, or do other cycloseris species and fungia corals bud to reproduce? I'd also love to see any pics of your diaseris or heliofungia (or other) baby plates if you have them.

Jason Truong · Jul 30, 2020

duberii said:
I was browsing a build thread and somebody mentioned that their heliofungia has developed buds around the edge of the polyp. Other plate corals like diaseris (now cycloseris) fragillis can form breaking points in the plate that can naturally pop off to asexually reproduce. Fungias also "reproduce" when the coral recedes then several polyps regrow, though I'm not too interested in that method because it has to do with the loss of the main specimen. My question is- are these qualities unique to heliofungia and diaseris corals, or do other cycloseris species and fungia corals bud to reproduce? I'd also love to see any pics of your diaseris or heliofungia (or other) baby plates if you have them.

Most of them do under the right conditions. The water has to be right for the babies to survive.

duberii · Jul 31, 2020

Jason Truong said:
Most of them do under the right conditions. The water has to be right for the babies to survive.

Fungia and cycloseris will form buds on the side as well? I've never seen it happen but it sounds amazing to me haha. I've only ever heard of the asexual reproduction where the mother colony recedes.