Corals

Corals are so cool to me. You wouldn’t think they are alive because of the way they look, but they are all animals. We have quite a few corals in our tank and they make it look awesome. There are 3 types of corals which are Perforate, Hermatypic, and Ahermatypic.

They are marine organisms in the class Anthozoa and they typically live in compact colonies of many individual polyps. A coral “head” is a colony of genetically identical polyps. Each polyp is a spineless animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in length. A set of tentacles surround a central mouth opening. An exoskeleton is excreted near the base. Over many years, the colony then creates a large skeleton that is characteristic of the species. Polyps and corals multiply, and they grow bigger and bigger.

            A coral gets the majority of their energy and nutrients from algae called zooxanthellae that live within the coral’s tissue. However, corals can also catch small fish and plankton, using stinging cells on their tentacles. Most corals require some sunlight and grow in clear, shallow water, usually at depths shallower than 200 ft. Other Corals do not have associated algae and can live in much deeper water. Some can even survive in water as deep as 9,800 feet.

Corals are huge contributions to tropics and subtropical waters, such as the Great Barrier Reef. They come in all different colors, shapes and sizes. I have put some pictures together to show you how cool they really are.