mushroom question

[azhunter]

do all mushrooms split? i heard people saying their Ric split, but i have a red bulls eye mushroom (i think) and it looks like it might be splitting. they have a pretty pronounced mouth so i didnt know if it can actually grow a new mouth and split or if its just looking weird.

mike

 

[sir_dudeguy]

I'm not so sure if they split really...Mine usually just drops babies wherever it moves. It will sit in one spot for a week, then begin to slowly move, and when it moves, there is a baby right where it was, so i dont think it really splits in half so to speak.

 

[hermanx7]

I think it depends on what species it is. I have purple mushrooms that do as sir dudeguy said, but I also have some green frilly mushrooms that split. Not sure about yours, if you can through a pic up that would help.

Thomas

 

[sir_dudeguy]

oh ya...i just remembered that i've also got the green fuzzy shrooms and now that i think of it, it has split before, but just once. I guess they can do both. Or you could just throw it in a blender and get tons

 

[jaredloo]

Mushrooms (Corallimorphs) have a few different methods of reproduction it just depends on the family they come from. Here's some info quoted from Julian Sprung & J. Charles Delbeek's "The Reef Aquarium, Vol. 2"

Methods of Reproduction:
*Longitudinal Fission: The polyp splits at the mouth and separates forming two new polyps.
*Pedal Laceration: As the Polyp moves over rocks and substrates, small sections of the pedal base are torn and left behind. These pieces form miniature versions of the mother polyp. (this is the one that sir_dude was talking about)
*Transverse fission: The polyp grows tall and due to current forms a twist point in the column and the top end of the polyp is severed from the rest of the column and pedal base. This top portion floats away and reattaches elsewhere.

All Corallimorphs can do either of these methods, but some of these methods are more common than others in different families. For example:
*Ricordea (Yuma & Florida) - Primarily Longitudinal Fission, Pedal Laceration common, Transverse Fission rarely.
*Discosoma (Blue, Green, Red, Striped, Pimpled, Bullseye) - Pedal laceration is most common, longitudinal fission is possible but uncommon, transverse fission is common under high flow or crowded areas.
*Rhodactis (Hairy Mushrooms) - Longitudinal fission mostly, pedal laceration is possible but uncommon

Hope that helps.