# Common Coral Slime (*ceratiomyxa fruticulosa*) The Common Coral Slime is a fascinating organism that looks like colorful coral under the forest floor! Kids will love discovering its unique shapes and vibrant colors during nature walks. - **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 15 - **Habitat:** Damp, shaded areas of forests, especially on decaying wood and leaf litter. - **Also known as:** Coral Slime Mold, Crown Coral Slime, Pink Coral Slime ![Common Coral Slime](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mycetozoa_Sporocarps_Ceratomyxa_fruticulosa_2.jpg&width=800) Photo: Doug Bowman from DeKalb IL, USA, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mycetozoa_Sporocarps_Ceratomyxa_fruticulosa_2.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Coral Slime is a striking white or sometimes yellowish-pink, coral-like growth. It features delicate, branched, finger-like structures with a waxy or gummy texture, often forming dense patches on its substrate. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Fungi - **Phylum:** Mycetozoa - **Class:** Protosteliomycetes - **Order:** Ceratiomyxales - **Family:** Ceratiomyxaceae - **Genus:** Ceratiomyxa ## Interesting facts - Each tiny, finger-like branch of the slime mold is covered in microscopic spores! - It's not a true fungus, but a "protist"—a distinct group of life with unique features! - Its scientific name, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa, roughly means "horned slime berry." - This slime mold looks like miniature white coral growing on dead wood. ## Special abilities - **Spores on the Surface:** Common Coral Slime has unique stalk-less spores that grow directly on its branching surface, which helps them spread easily in moist environments. - **Plasmodium Power:** Common Coral Slime can move slowly across surfaces as a jelly-like plasmodium to find food before forming its coral-like structures. - **Decomposition Dynamo:** Common Coral Slime helps break down dead plant material like logs and leaves, turning waste into vital nutrients for the forest floor. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 1-2 cm - **Edible:** inedible - **Growth Substrate:** wood, leaf litter - **Season:** Year-round (favors damp conditions) - **Spore Color:** White ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Fluorescent Pseudomonad (*Pseudomonas fluorescens*) — Its plasmodium consumes these bacteria. - **Depends on:** [American Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-beech) (*Fagus grandifolia*) — Grows on decaying wood and leaf litter. - **Eaten by:** Red Slug (*Arion rufus*) — Slugs and other invertebrates sometimes graze on its fruiting bodies. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Coral Slime? Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Common Coral Slime? 1-2 cm ### Is Common Coral Slime edible? inedible ### Where is Common Coral Slime usually found? Damp, shaded areas of forests, especially on decaying wood and leaf litter. ### What does Common Coral Slime grow on? wood, leaf litter ### When is Common Coral Slime in season? Year-round (favors damp conditions) ### What color are Common Coral Slime spores? White ## Where to spot - [Duke Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/duke-gardens) — New Jersey, US · Botanical Garden - [Hickory Hill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hickory-hill-park) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/laughing-brook-wildlife-sanctuary) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Miami Whitewater Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/miami-whitewater-forest) — Ohio, US · Park - [San Antonio Missions National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-antonio-missions-national-historical-park) — Texas, US · National Park - [Savannah–Ogeechee Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/savannah-ogeechee-canal) — Georgia, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Common Coral Slime](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-coral-slime) ## More Fungi - [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*) - [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*) - [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*) - [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*) --- Source: [Common Coral Slime: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-coral-slime)