TankBud

Bullseye mushroom

Rhodactis inchoata

Also known as Tonga Blue Mushroom, Bullseye Rhodactis, Tonga Mushroom

SaltwaterCoral

Bullseye mushroom (Rhodactis inchoata)
(c) luluchouette, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Photosynthetic
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Discosomidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific

Overview

The bullseye mushroom is a peaceful corallimorph and a solid choice for a beginner's reef tank.

Did you know

Hobbyists still call the bullseye mushroom the Tonga mushroom, decades after the first exports. That is because so many of the blue and purple pieces in circulation trace back to Tongan collection.

Caring for the bullseye mushroom

Keep the bullseye mushroom in low to moderate light, around 80 to 150 PAR, with gentle flow. Place it on lower, partly shaded rockwork where the disc will not be blasted directly. It needs a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L).

Hold the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is forgiving of nutrient swings. Zooxanthellae provide most of its energy.

It is peaceful and low sting. It reproduces in the aquarium by splitting and pedal laceration. Polyps detach or split when they are happy, and a single rock can carpet over within a year or two.

Good to know

Rhodactis inchoata is a corallimorph in the family Discosomidae, described by Carlgren in 1943. It is one of the smaller members of the genus. Its surface tentacles are more developed than on the smooth Discosoma mushrooms, but far less than on an elephant ear. The compact disc is covered in short papillae in cauliflower-like patterns, usually violet to blue with a contrasting rim and often a red mouth.

In the wild

The bullseye mushroom comes from calm, shaded reef zones of the western Pacific. Its colonies form slowly expanding groups on rock, rather than single large polyps.

Common questions

What size tank does a bullseye mushroom need?

A bullseye mushroom needs at least 11 gal (40 L).

What temperature and pH does a bullseye mushroom need?

A bullseye mushroom is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a bullseye mushroom eat?

A bullseye mushroom gets most of its energy from its zooxanthellae.

How big does a bullseye mushroom get?

An adult bullseye mushroom reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

How does a bullseye mushroom breed?

A bullseye mushroom reproduces in the aquarium by splitting and by pedal laceration. Its polyps detach or split when conditions suit them, and one rock can carpet over within a year or two.

Related species