Attached mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) in sediment-stressed reef conditions at Singapore, including a new species and a new record

Based on recent fieldwork, a checklist of four attached mushroom coral species (Fungiidae) is given with annotations on their abundance in Singapore waters. One species, Podabacia motuporensis Veron, 1990, is recorded as new to Singapore, so far the westernmost locality within its distribution range. Although specimens were observed and collected during earlier studies in Singapore, this species probably remained unnoticed due to its resemblance to P. crustacea (Pallas, 1766) and because it is not yet well-known. Another one, Podabacia kunzmanni new species, is new to science. Specimens of this species are usually very small. Therefore, they can easily be confused with other Podabacia species, but also with attached juvenile corals of the genus Sandalolitha. Podabacia kunzmanni was observed for the first time in 1995 on the heavily damaged reefs off Padang, West Sumatra, and later on (also in 1995) a reef off Jakarta. It is most remarkable that this new species is relatively small and appears to be most abundant on dead coral and on rubble, with little or no other coral cover around, especially on reefs under stress. Alive, the small corals stand out very clearly in contrast to their dead micro-habitat.