fun facts for new (or experienced) reefers

[BudgetR33f]

Feel free to input any fun facts; I'll (try to) add one every day until the "Take Your Shot" challenge is over. Hopefully they're not too boring lol.

Fun fact #1: Many reef organisms, including coral and sponges, show promise for medicinal use, including curing herpes, cancer, HIV, and more! Learn More

 

[KrisReef]

Fun Fact #2: Eating your Pufferfish should not be tried at home. Some parts contain toxins that can end life quickly. They are a delicacy in Japan, Learn more, eat less.

 

[BudgetR33f]

Fun Fact #3: Coral fossils can be dated all the way back to 500 million years ago, as late as the Cambrian period, a time where only aquatic animals existed. Here. The oldest living coral is a deep sea coral, specifically a black coral, and is said to have been growing for 4,270 years. Here.

 

[BudgetR33f]

Well, here's some fun facts for the last few days since I forgot...

Fun Fact #4: Chemical additives found in plastic are drawn to by corals. However, these microplastics ultimately hinder growth. Yet another reason to stop ocean waste! Here.

Fun Fact #5: Antarctica actually does have coral reefs and houses a large range of deep water specimens.

Fun Fact #6: One of the only truly non-sessile corals is the plate coral, which moves by inflating and deflating tissue to propel itself across the sand bed. Here.

Fun fact #7: Most people know the wide range of benefits coral reefs provide, but did you know that they are estimated to bring in $3.4 billion in revenue and $1.8 billion in protection in just the U.S. alone?! Here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Fun fact #8. My daughter found a coral skeleton on a beach in Rhode Island. Northern Star coral. I did not know we had much in the way of hard corals in the northeast.

 

[Rp8]

Fun fact #9: Horseshoe crabs are not crabs at all. They are in a class by themselves, although they are more closely related to spiders, scorpions, and ticks.

Find more info https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/crustaceans/horseshoe-crabs/facts/

 

[Paul B]

Fun Fact #10. Humans limit light to their retina by constricting their pupils. Fish can't do that so the cones and rods in their eyes withdraw into the back of their eyeball to limit light. But it takes about half an hour unlike our pupil which happens instantly. Thats why fish don't come out right away after the lights come on.