Confusing? Yes, but wait…there’s more! The zooxanthellae then use photosynthesis to break up the food and help the coral digest it. The coral gets rid of the waste (mostly nitrogen and phosphorus), and the algae eat that. This type of relationship is called symbiosis. The two animals, working as one animal, feed each other. Now- what do these guys eat? Ever heard of plankton? I’m going to talk about plankton in more depth in another article, but basically plankton are very small sea creatures that float along with the current (like small shrimp or krill).
Coral use the water current for many things. A good water flow brings them food, helps to clean them, and is used for reproduction. Coral can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Some coral will release both sperm and eggs into the water, where they join and collect on the sea surface. This will often take place during a full moon when tides are lowest. Asexual reproduction occurs when a section of coral breaks off and reattaches onto another part of the rock or sea floor. One coral polyp can be the parent of thousands of little polyps!
A coral reef is often made up of hard coral, soft coral, tubeworms, mollusks, and other types of animals and fish. Some fish, like the clownfish, spend most of their lives in and around coral reefs. Emerald crabs, cleaner shrimp, banded shrimp, and some types of starfish also benefit from the reef. The variety of life within a reef varies by location. Hawaii’s reefs are relatively young compared to others- a typical Hawaiian reef may have 40 species of reef- building corals. In the western Pacific, there may be over 300 species of coral.
For a coral reef to grow and stay healthy, it needs a solid structure for the base, warm and stable water temperatures, current, stable salinity, and clear water. Those interested in starting a coral tank should do a little on-line research first. I have links to a few web pages with information on that.
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