Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Biogeography of Mushroom Corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae)

The Fungiidae are mushroom corals that live in sublittoral habitats in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Their habitats are part of coral reefs or other marine substrata, which usually can be found in the proximity of the reefs. In the present taxonomic revision, the family is divided into 11 genera; one of which, Fungia, is subdivided into seven subgenera. A total of 40 species is described and figured, three of which are new to science. One species is renamed. The stratigraphic distribution is given for all the species recorded in fossil state. A tentative phylogenetic reconstruction down to the species level is given. The cladogram that is provided should be considered a working hypothesis and not a sound basis for a completely revised classification and nomenclature of the Fungiidae. For each species the presently known geographic range is mapped. The pattern of species richness in the Indo-Pacific is compared with that of some other taxa and discussed with respect to their distributional patterns. The ranges of the Fungiidae are analyzed with the use of approaches from both historical and ecological biogeography.