Elephant Ear Mushroom

The Rhodactis mussoides Elephant Ear Mushroom is a member of the order Corallimorpharia (Stephenson, 1937). It is usually green, with a large wavy surface, a leathery texture, and multiple mouths. It can reach 10 or more inches in diameter.

It is very easy to maintain in the reef aquarium with a low to medium light level combined with a low to medium water movement. It is semi-aggressive and requires adequate space between itself and other corals. It reproduces through longitudinal fission.

The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae hosted within it provide the majority of its nutritional requirements from the light driven process of photosynthesis. It may also eat bacteria.