SMITHSONIAN REPORT. 1956.— BAYER AND HARRY-ROFEN 



1. Shallow reefs in Iwayama Bay are in some places dominated by the large poritid coral 

 Goniopora. The stubby branches of its skeleton are obscured by the exceptionally large 

 polyps, which remain extended even in daylight. Unlike most anthozoan corals, it can 

 sting, thus making collecting near it very unpleasant. 



This species of mushroom coral, Fungia actiniformis palawensis, has long, creamy-yellow 

 tentacles that completely hide its stony skeleton which is nearly the size of a saucer. It 

 is a solitary polyp that never forms a colonial skeleton as most other reef corals do. A 

 small specimen of a wrasse, Cheilinus, that is common in enclosed bays like Iwayama, can 

 be seen at the top of the picture. 



