May 19, 2013
How does coral eat?
Top: Zooxanthellae within a polyp of Porites astreoides. Photo Credit: National Coral Reef Institute; Bottom: Coral polyps use their tentacles to capture food, such as the polyp shown here ingesting a marine worm. Photo credit: George Cathcart
Coral utilizes the organic byproducts of photosynthesis and/or captures prey. Tropical Coral Species Tropical shallow coral reef species—those you might typically picture when you think of a coral reef—get as much as 90 percent of their energy from the organic byproducts of photosynthesis thanks to a symbiotic relationship with algae. [a] Most tropical shallow coral species also capture and consume live prey using their tentacles. This type of feeding usually occurs at night. [b] Deep-sea Corals Because they live at depths which make light penetration—and thus photosynthesis—impossible, deep-sea corals capture plankton and organic matter for much their energy needs. To learn more, visit our Coral Feeding Habits and Deep-sea Corals pages. Citations: |
||
