fungia moving itself?

[sixpackgarage]

my fungia was pretty close to one of my frogspawns.. I moved it about 3-4 inches away.. looked in last night and he was in the same spot that I had moved him from.

Anyone ever have one move? Current is super light in that spot and would move him in the opposite direction. Either it moved on its own, or somehow one of my sand sifting stars moved him.. odd..

 

[Ron448]

I have had one move. I was watching it as it happened and If I remember correctly I saw some really tiny tentacles coming out from underneath it. This was probably around 6-7 years ago and I also remember reading something about them being able to move on their own

 

[Reef Frog]

I've read they can move, but mine never have as far as I know.

I was told they do it by variable deflation & inflation of the polyp. Sort of the same principal caterpillars use. I'm not sure this is fully correct. But isn't it neat to think an animal without a brain or muscles can decide to move and then do it under its own control?

 

[sixpackgarage]

I've read they can move, but mine never have as far as I know.



I was told they do it by variable deflation & inflation of the polyp. Sort of the same principal caterpillars use. I'm not sure this is fully correct. But isn't it neat to think an animal without a brain or muscles can decide to move and then do it under its own control?

Yes it is fascinating what these animals do without a brain. Starfish also seem to 'know' what to do without a brain to tell them

 

[Tweaked]

They inflate with water and "move" in currents. They do not actually move on their own and do this if current conditions are not right.

 

[Mark9]

They inflate with water and "move" in currents. They do not actually move on their own and do this if current conditions are not right.

Mine has moved "against" the current.

 

[Tweaked]

Well we went over this many times. Coral cannot walk.

 

[Mark9]

Well we went over this many times. Coral cannot walk.

Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

 

[Tweaked]

Ok, not here to argue, and I would take care of that plate as it is probably a new species yet to be discovered.

For those reading, coral cannot walk. Species such as xenia etc. branch out and relocate to a better position in relation to light and food, but this is not walking. Mushrooms can move, but they are not coral, they are more related to anemones (Corallimorpharians). The plates move by inflating with water and riding currents as discussed. Walking dendros (Heteropsammia cochlea) have a symbiotic relationship with peanut worm which moves the coral around as it searches or food.

 

[sixpackgarage]

Well it hasn't moved since I posted this. I have to assume then that one of my sand sifting starts got under it and moved it, because it would not otherwise be possible for the Fungia to move upstream.

Anyways, just curious if anyone else had seen this happen.

 

[Reef Frog]

They inflate with water and "move" in currents. They do not actually move on their own and do this if current conditions are not right.

Interesting stuff. You saved me the effort of finding out what I thought I read was wrong! Still a neat evolutionary adaptation. I would think the chances of a successful relocation using this method woukd not be particularly high for any given individual. Seems it would be quite easy to end up buried or stuck someplace awful if you happened to be a fungia with a strong case of wanderlust.

 

[falconut]

I've had my orange fungi for years and it occasionally moves. Never saw how it does it. It usually only moves an inch or two at the most over the corse of a week. I'Ve read of others doing this, so it's normal.

 

[Tweaked]

Interesting stuff. You saved me the effort of finding out what I thought I read was wrong! Still a neat evolutionary adaptation. I would think the chances of a successful relocation using this method woukd not be particularly high for any given individual. Seems it would be quite easy to end up buried or stuck someplace awful if you happened to be a fungia with a strong case of wanderlust.

Believe it or not they have been observed using currents to climb rocks at a 30 degree angle and are even able to right themselves if turned over. All from filling with water and using currents like a balloon in the sky.

 

[reefer333_]

I have 4 plates in my tank. Two of them stay put, but out of the other two, orange one moves a little bit and stays put now, but the green one moves a lot. It keeps trying to move to the front glass and I keep moving it back to different spots (so that I can clean front glass without damaging it). Hopefully, it finds a spot that it is happy with soon. I don't have any start fish or any snails that can move the plates.

 

[cloak]

When a Fungia inflates, does it all inflate at the same time or does it have the ability to inflate one side as opposed to the other? If this is the case, then it could walk so to say. (left, right, left right)
I might be reaching here, but stranger things have happened.

 

[Tweaked]

According to another thread sometime ago, some of the very knowledgeable guys made it very clear that coral cannot walk. I wouldn't consider using currents to move walking nor have the experts.

 

[Reef Frog]

If a fungia can inflate just one side and deflate it very quickly to sink back down on the substrate, I can certainly see it how it may be able to creep across the substrate and be confused with actual walking.

"Walking" may be the wrong word (it doesn't have legs after all). But they surely can move and I can see how some viewers would use the term to describe the movement. I've never seen this myself - it's just speculation. Mine only inflate to eat.

I find it interesting to think about how such a simple animal with such limited sensory capabilities (or so we think) can determine that it needs to move, make a "decision" to do it and if conditions are favorable (?), carry it out, and know when a good location is found and pucker back up so as to land back on the substrate. Amazing.

 

[Reef Frog]

If a fungia can inflate just one side and deflate it very quickly to sink back down on the substrate, I can certainly see it how it may be able to creep across the substrate and be confused with actual walking.

"Walking" may be the wrong word (it doesn't have legs after all). But they surely can move and I can see how some viewers would use the term to describe the movement. I've never seen this myself - it's just speculation. Mine only inflate to eat.

I find it interesting to think about how such a simple animal with such limited sensory capabilities (or so we think) can determine that it needs to move, make a "decision" to do it and if conditions are favorable (?), carry it out, and know when a good location is found and pucker back up. Amazing.

 

[Tweaked]

Yup and animals like anemones and starfish bridge the gap between coral and invertebrates to many other animals that have evolved out of the sea. Did you know starfish have no blood and use sea water to circulate throughout its coral like skeleton. Pretty neat.