Shore life · La Saladita, Guerrero

Green Button Polyp

Palythoa mutuki

Spanish: Pólipo de botón verde

Green Button Polyp (Palythoa mutuki)
Photographed by sombrero_de_polen on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Palythoa mutuki is a species of zoanthid generally found in the Indo-Pacific but also common off the west coast of South America. It occurs at depths ranging between 0 - 28m, being found in both marine and intertidal zones. It was found to hold a higher diversity of associated species than Zoanthus sansibaricus, which inhabits a similar niche. Most often recorded in Dec.

TaxonomyAnthozoa › Zoantharia › Sphenopidae
Local records1 research-grade observation within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records2,462 on iNaturalist
Recorded here2022 – 2022
Months recorded near La Saladita
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Shore life guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Green Button Polyp (Palythoa mutuki) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/palythoa-mutuki/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.