Coral is the outer shell secreted by coral polyps. Its chemical composition is mainly CaCO3, which exists in the form of microcrystalline calcite aggregates. There is also a certain amount of organic matter in its composition. Coral is mostly tree-like in shape, with vertical stripes on it. The color is usually white, but there are also a small amount of blue and black. Coral not only looks like a tree branch, but also has bright and beautiful colors, can be used as decoration, and has high medicinal value.
The most common question in the fun animal quiz is:
Is coral an animal or a plant?
Some of them look like rocks or plants
It’s really hard to associate it with an animal…
But it’s actually a symbiosis of coral polyps and algae (zooxanthellae)
70% of its own nutrition is supplemented through photosynthesis,
At night, coral polyps prey on plankton.
For travelers who have had experience in ocean snorkeling
They can’t name these beautiful corals of various shapes
Little Earth is still willing to be the first to try it
Here is a Chinese coral encyclopedia!
So, next time you come back from snorkeling on the island,
Don’t just call out corals
Please send a “student-level” circle of friends!
C O R A L G U I D E
Small Earth Travel Coral Encyclopedia
All the coral species mentioned today
are all included in a hidden island in the Small Earth itinerary
Are you surprised? Are you surprised? ? ?
To sign up to explore the wonderful coral island,
please contact the consultant WeChat xiaodiqiu11
2 people can go
1
The most common Staghorn Coral
Staghorn Coral
They exist on almost every island or coast suitable for snorkeling. Staghorn corals are the most abundant type of coral in the ocean.
They mostly live in groups, so they can grow into large coral forests. Staghorn corals can withstand the impact of waves and are the best living space for many marine organisms, making a great contribution to marine biodiversity.
Because the corals of this genus have a branching growth form like antlers. It is a coral reef growing in the waters of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Acropora is a large number of coral species, mainly including Acropora palisade, Acropora pine, Acropora rugosa, etc. Their coral cups are very small and simple in structure.
2
Brain Coral with Exposed Brain Circuits
Brain Coral
The name of brain coral is almost self-explanatory. After all, it really looks like the wrinkles of a human brain. After looking at it for a long time, it seems to be a spherical maze.
Brain corals can grow up to nearly 2 meters in size and have a lifespan of up to 900 years. During the Little Earth Tours Western Australia Grand Crossing and Fiji sailing trips, you can see huge brain corals growing. They are so huge that you wonder how many years they live.
This type of coral consists of rows of tentacles neatly arranged on both sides of the coral polyp, with the mouth at the bottom, shaped like a groove. The round structure of the coral helps them withstand the impact of waves.
3
Foliose Coral that looks like a cabbage
Foliose Coral
They are like cabbages on land, wrapped in layers. This kind of coral is also common in many sea areas. When it forms a huge piece, it is very spectacular, like a rose garden on the seabed. So it is often called rose coral. But according to the semantic translation, it is more appropriate to translate it as “multi-leaf coral”, which is a kind of stony coral.
4
“Shy coral” that closes when touched
When my colleagues from Little Earth Travel were snorkeling on the islands of Borneo, they saw some magical corals that looked like sweaters covered with colorful balls of wool.
When you reach out your hand and approach gently, they will automatically close. Just like the mimosa on land. I have never heard people talk about what kind of coral this is… Finally, my hard work paid off and I dug it up!
Itineraries that include “Shy Corals” >> Click here to view
5
So are sea anemones corals?
Sea Anemones
Sea anemones look like soft corals, but are they corals? In fact, sea anemones and corals are close relatives. (Scientific name: Actiniaria) is a carnivorous animal that grows in water. It belongs to the Cnidaria, an order of the Hexacorallia, and is a very simple animal with no central information processing mechanism, which means that it does not even have the most basic brain foundation.
When we were snorkeling on the shore of this island in Borneo, we found a lot of clownfish. They never leave their favorite home, the anemone.
So as long as the anemone is there, the clownfish is there. No wonder Nemo in “Finding Nemo” is a unique clownfish. I didn’t realize it until today. This is what it means to gain sudden enlightenment in nature! (Do you want to be Nemo? Or a clownfish that never leaves the anemone?)
Like the giant moss table coral in Linzhi
Table Corals
This is another coral that is very easy to identify, it looks like a table. The English name is table coral, and the Chinese name is: moss table antler coral. It is a branching type of coral like the rough antler coral, but it grows horizontally, forming a larger surface layer to receive more sunlight.
Its color is usually brown or green, and the flat surface provides a habitat for many coral fish. These colorful reef fish swimming around the moss surface staghorn coral add a lot of vitality and color to it.
8
Mushroom Coral that can freely change sex
Mushroom Coral
This coral has a mushroom-like backside, sometimes looking like a lip. It is rare and not always found in many snorkeling areas. A 2006 study showed that corals can change sex, from male to female and vice versa. Although some fish and some “look-a-what” creatures are known to change sex, this is the only coral that can do so.
Mushroom corals, or fungus corals, do not form colonies like most other corals, but are solitary, mobile species. They are flat or disc-shaped, sometimes rounded or elongated
Mushroom coral polyps are the largest coral polyps in the world. A single mushroom coral polyp can reach a diameter of 25 cm. It is flexible and can move on the seabed, but the distance it moves is not too far; even if it is overturned by the waves, it can turn over. It can produce a kind of mucus containing stinging cells. This mucus will destroy other coral colonies that invade their territory.