Psychedelic Coral
by Jean Noren
Title
Psychedelic Coral
Artist
Jean Noren
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Photo of brain coral with cleaner fish taken in Belize. Brain coral is a common name given to corals in the family Faviidae so called due to their generally spheroid shape and grooved surface which resembles a brain. Each head of coral is formed by a colony of genetically identical polyps which secrete a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate; this makes them important coral reef builders like other stony corals in the order Scleractinia. Brain corals are found in shallow warm-water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. They are part of the phylum Cnidaria, in a class called Anthozoa or "flower animals." The life span of the largest brain corals is 900 years. Colonies can grow as large as 6 or more feet (1.8 m) high. Brain corals extend their tentacles to catch food at night. The surface is hard and offers good protection against fish or hurricanes.Like other genera of corals, brain corals feed on small drifting animals and also receive nutrients provided by the algae which live within their tissues.
Uploaded
August 3rd, 2012
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