Bali Shortcake vs Common Tarcrust

Acropora latistella compared with Diatrype stigma

Key Differences

• Bali Shortcake is Least Concern while Common Tarcrust is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bali Shortcake	Common Tarcrust
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Cnidaria (Cnidarians)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Anthozoa	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Scleractinia (Scleractinia)	Xylariales (Xylariales)
Family	Acroporidae	Diatrypaceae
Genus	Acropora	Diatrype
Species	Acropora latistella	Diatrype stigma

Conservation Status

Bali Shortcake

LC — Least Concern

Common Tarcrust

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bali Shortcake	Common Tarcrust
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bali Shortcake

Habitat

Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Common Tarcrust

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

Bali Shortcake

The Bali Shortcake (Acropora latistella) is a species in the genus Acropora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Common Tarcrust

<em>Diatrype stigma</em>, the common tarcrust, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Diatrypaceae, found across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, as well as more broadly in Europe and temperate regions globally. It grows as a crust-like, charcoal-black stromata on the dead bark and branches of deciduous hardwoods, particularly hazel, beech, and alder. The fruiting bodies are typically flat to slightly raised, dark gray to black patches that contain numerous embedded perithecia in which ascospores are produced. This fungus plays an important ecological role as a decomposer, breaking down dead woody material and recycling nutrients in forest ecosystems. It is Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List; given its broad distribution on common substrates, it is generally considered widespread. The species reproduces via wind-dispersed ascospores released from the perithecia. Diet, as a saprotrophic organism, consists of dead organic woody matter. Biological traits such as colony growth rates, spore output, and longevity remain poorly documented in standardized quantitative assessments.