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Sandalolitha Robusta
''Sandalolitha robusta'' is a plate or mushroom coral in the family Fungiidae. This coral is found in the Indo-Pacific region.''Sandalolitha'' Reef coral genera of the Western Indian Ocean. Retrieved 2011-12-14. Description ''Sandalolitha robusta'' is a large, heavy colonial coral that is free living, not being attached to the substrate. The numerous individual s, in which the polyps are embedded, are separate from each other. They are bordered by alternating wide and narrow |
Coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. A coral "group" is a colony of very many genetically identical polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in height. A set of tentacles surround a central mouth opening. Each polyp excretes an exoskeleton near the base. Over many generations, the colony thus creates a skeleton characteristic of the species which can measure up to several meters in size. Individual colonies grow by asexual reproduction of polyps. Corals also breed sexually by spawning: polyps of the same species release gametes simultaneously overnight, often around a full moon. Fertilized eggs form planulae, a mobile early form of the coral polyp which, when m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fungiidae
The Fungiidae () are a family of Cnidaria, commonly known as mushroom corals or plate corals. The family contains thirteen extant genera. They range from solitary corals to colonial species. Some genera such as ''Cycloseris'' and ''Fungia'' are solitary organisms, '' Polyphyllia'' consists of a single organism with multiple mouths, and ''Ctenactis'' and '' Herpolitha'' might be considered as solitary organisms with multiple mouths or a colony of individuals, each with its separate mouth. Characteristics Species are generally solitary marine animals capable of benthic locomotion. These corals often appear to be bleached or dead. In most genera, a single polyp emerges from the center of the skeleton to feed at night. Most species remain fully detached from the substrate in adulthood. Some are immobile as well as colonial. Ecology Some species of mushroom coral such as ''Fungia repanda'' and ''Ctenactis echinata'' are able to change sex. This is posited to take place in resp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
