Page 271 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

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CLASS ANTHOZOA CLASS ANTHOZOA
Mushroom Coral Giant Brain Coral

Fungia scruposa Colpophyllia natans
DIAMETER DIAMETER Up to 16 ft
Up to 1 in (2.5 cm) (5 m)
DEPTH DEPTH 3–180 ft
0–80 ft (0–25 m) (1–55 m)
HABITAT HABITAT Seaward side
Sediment and rubble of coral reefs
DISTRIBUTION Tropical waters of Red Sea, Indian DISTRIBUTION Tropical waters of Gulf of Mexico
Ocean, and western Pacific and Caribbean

Mushroom coral is unusual in that it This huge coral grows as
lives as a single individual rather than giant domes or extensive
a colony. Juveniles start life as a small thick crusts and can live
stalked disk attached to dead coral or for more than 100 years.
rock. By the time they reach about The surface of the colony
1/2 in (4 cm) in diameter, they become is a convoluted series of
1
detached. The animal feeds at night ridges and long valleys, as
and the tentacles are withdrawn during in other species of brain
the day, leaving the skeleton clearly coral, and this is what
visible, with the mouth at the center gives it its name. The
of the disk. The skeleton resembles the valleys and ridges are
gills of a mushroom. Mushroom coral often differently colored
uses its tentacles to turn itself the right and the ridges have a
way up if it is overturned by waves. distinct groove running
along the top. Typically, the
valleys are green or brown
and the ridges are brown.
The polyp mouths are hidden
in the valleys and the tentacles
are only extended at night. In
recent years, giant brain corals in
the Tortugas Islands (south of the
Florida Keys) have been attacked by
a disease and some have died.
Particularly large colonies are popular
tourist attractions in islands such as
Tobago. As well as attracting divers,
the coral heads attract fish, and some
gobies live permanently on the coral.

CLASS ANTHOZOA With their large, flamboyant polyps, withdrawn and the coral
corals of the genus Dendrophyllia look looks like a dull reddish
Dendrophyllid Coral more like an anemone than a coral. lump. As darkness falls, the
Dendrophyllia species Dendrophyllids belong to a group polyps expand their orange
tentacles to feed on plankton
called cup corals. They grow as a
HEIGHT low-branching colony with each and make a spectacular
Up to 2 in (5 cm) tubular individual distinct, and they do display that often covers
DEPTH not develop the massive skeleton of large areas. This genus of
10–165 ft (3–50 m) reef-building corals. They have no coral is very difficult to
HABITAT zooxanthellae and grow in shaded identify to species level and
Steep rock faces parts of reefs such as below overhangs can also be confused with
DISTRIBUTION Tropical waters in Indian Ocean and and especially on steep cliff faces. cup corals belonging to the
from western Pacific to Polynesia During the day, the polyps are entirely genus Tubastrea.

CLASS ANTHOZOA rock or even a shipwreck. When the CLASS ANTHOZOA very slowly, and such large reefs are
tentacles are expanded, these tiny many hundreds of years old. Each
Devonshire Cup corals look just like anemones, with Lophelia Coral polyp has 16 tentacles, which it uses
each tapering, transparent tentacle to capture prey such as zooplankton
Coral ending in a small knob. Devonshire Lophelia pertusa and even krill from the passing
cup coral occurs in a variety of colors DIAMETER current. Stinging cells render the prey
Caryophyllia smithii
from white to orange. At least 33 ft (10 m) immobile and it is then transferred
DIAMETER DEPTH to the mouth. In recent years many
1
1 / 4 in (3 cm)
165–10,000 ft of these slow growing reefs have
DEPTH (50–3,000 m) been badly damaged by trawlers
0–330 ft (0–100 m)
HABITAT Deep-sea reefs trying to catch deep-sea fish.
HABITAT Rocks and DISTRIBUTION Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and western
wrecks
Indian Ocean; distribution not fully known
DISTRIBUTION Northeastern Atlantic and
Mediterranean
Lophelia reefs more than 8 miles
(13 km) long and 100 ft (30 m) high
While most corals grow as colonies in have been recorded off the coast of OCEAN LIFE
tropical waters, the Devonshire cup Norway. Because it lives in deep, dark
coral is solitary and lives in temperate water, this cold-water coral has no
parts of the ocean. It grows with its zooxanthellae to help build its white,
cup-shaped skeleton attached to a branching skeleton. It therefore grows