A Natural Wonder of the World
Coral
Brian Coral
Fan Coral
Fire Coral
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Coral is known as an animals, not a plant as it was once thought of many years ago. There are two types of coral: hard or soft. Hard corals are what most people think of as a coral reef, but soft corals are just as abundant. Both types share the same type of body called polyp. A polyp has a tubular body and tentacles around it mouth like a sea anemone. The hard coral releases calcium that builds up over time, which forms a hard skeleton around the polyp. This is what we see when looking at coral. |
Microscopic plankton floating around the sea is what the corals feed on in the ocean. Usually during the night they eat by using their fine tentacles to catch the plankton. Algae lives inside the walls of the polyp and uses photosynthesis to create sugars. By catching their own food and using the photosynthesis process, the coral gets its energy to survive. The algae is what gives the coral its color.
As the coral grow and change they become a reef. Brain coral, fan coral, and fire coral join together to create a reef.
This page was last updated on April 9, 2009.
Questions or comments contact Allison Gaubatz.
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