Coral Tooth Fungus
CR

Coral Tooth Fungus

Hericium coralloides

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hericium_coralloides

Overview

Hericium coralloides is a saprotrophic fungus, commonly known as coral tooth fungus or comb coral mushroom.

Coral Tooth Fungus (Hericium coralloides) is critically endangered primarily due to the widespread loss and degradation of old-growth deciduous forests, particularly beech woodlands, which provide the specific dead wood substrates this saprotrophic fungus requires. The species has experienced severe population declines across Europe due to intensive forestry practices that remove dead and dying trees, habitat fragmentation, and the overall reduction in mature forest ecosystems.

Threat summary

Habitat

It is found throughout North America, Eurasia and Australia, growing on dead hardwood trees. It can be found from July to October in the east and November to March in the west.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Hericiaceae

Lion's-mane MushroomCR

Lion's-mane Mushroom

Hericium erinaceus

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Coral Tooth Fungus classified as Critically Endangered?
Coral Tooth Fungus is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Coral Tooth Fungus (Hericium coralloides) is critically endangered primarily due to the widespread loss and degradation of old-growth deciduous forests, particularly beech woodlands, which provide the specific dead wood substrates this saprotrophic fungus requires. The species has experienced severe population declines across Europe due to intensive forestry practices that remove dead and dying trees, habitat fragmentation, and the overall reduction in mature forest ecosystems.
Where does Coral Tooth Fungus live?
Coral Tooth Fungus occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Coral Tooth Fungus?
The main threats to Coral Tooth Fungus are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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