Honeycomb Coral Slime Mold
Ceratiomyxa porioides
Unlike true myxomycetes that encase spores inside capsules, this organism holds its spores externally on microscopic stalks extending from the honeycomb surface.
- Scientific name
- Ceratiomyxa porioides
- Taxonomy
- Protozoa › Mycetozoa › Ceratiomyxomycetes › Ceratiomyxales › Ceratiomyxaceae › Ceratiomyxa
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist decaying logs, stumps, and fallen bark in temperate, boreal, and tropical forests
- Diet
- Bacteria, microfungi, and dissolved organic matter ingested via phagocytosis
- Range
- North America, Europe, Asia, Central America, South America
- Size
- Colonies measure 1–10 cm across, with pores 0.2–0.5 mm in diameter
- Lifespan
- 3–14 days
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Removal of coarse woody debris, clear-cutting, and prolonged forest drought
- Safe to approach?
- Ceratiomyxa porioides is harmless to humans and produces no known venoms, poisons, or irritants. It can be safely examined up close without disturbing the decaying wood it lives on. If touched, washing hands with soap and water is sufficient.
Ceratiomyxa porioides , also known as the honeycomb coral slime mold , is a common species of slime mold in the Mycetozoa group. Long considered a morphological variant of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa , C. poriodes was described as a separate species in 2024 based on transcriptomes. C. fruticulosa has historically been considered a widespread cosmopolitan species.
Photo: Robert Roach, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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