In the wild, generally, soft corals like Gorgonians extend their polyps to feed during the day, but reef-building stony corals extend theirs at night. This is an example of what is known as resource partitioning. Another example of two organisms that share a similar niche is birds and bats. Both fly around and feed on insects, nectar and fruits, but one at night and the other during the day, so they are never in direct competition over resources. The question is, why do we get so much polyp extension from some of our SPS during the day in our aquariums? Is it lower light, more free-floating detritus, less predation? Let's discuss.
