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Discosoma is a coral genus of colonial anemones from the order Corallimorpharia - sometimes shortened to "morph". Alternatively, due to their shape, they are also called "mushrooms" or abbreviated as "shrooms".Discosoma
There are different species of Discosoma, but the differentiation is normally not easy, except for special representatives like Discosoma carlgreni or Discosoma neglecta with distinct shapes. The distinguishing feature is single polyps with simple, round shape without tentacles on the edge. The difference between Discosoma and Rhodactis corals is that Discosoma just do not have tentacles on the edge. Nevertheless, on their body they can have different kinds of outgrowths like dots, warts or pseudotentacles. Occasionally representatives of the genus are still listed under the no longer taxon Actinodiscus.
Discosoma are very easy to keep in the aquarium among soft corals, and they grow readily - individual animals usually bud off smaller frags over time, so they can spread quickly, especially as a colony. Individually, this means you can expect them to divide about 1 time per year in the aquarium. Fearless keepers also fragment them by cutting them with a sharp knife, but losses should be expected. They often like it shady and nutrient-rich, and you should be careful not to burn them. Especially the special and rare morphs like Jawbreaker, Mystery Tie-Dye, Eclectus, Kryptonite, and others like it very dark at just 20-30 PAR.
Discosoma and other mushrooms can migrate in the marine aquarium and can also detach from the rock due to bad conditions or stress. To (re)attach Discosoma to rocks, it is best to place them on coarse coral rubble in a dish and wait for them to attach on their own. The piece of coral rubble can then be attached to substrate with gel superglue. Conversely, it is often difficult to remove Discosoma from the rocks - the easiest way is to chip them off along with the underlying rock, using a chisel or pliers. To permanently get rid of unwanted Discosoma as a "nuisance", you can cut them off with a knife and coat the remains with a calcium hydroxide slurry.
