What are some interesting facts about coral?

[Gumbies R Us]

One thing I love is learning about different facts in the hobby. Maybe it is how a certain fish interacts with another one, or maybe it is the origin of a corals name. I am wondering what are some interesting facts you know about coral!

 

[WalkerLoves_TheOcean]

Some corals existed before dinosaurs.

 

[krollins]

Corals aren't photosynthetic, but zooxanthellae is.

 

[Reefer Matt]

They are animals. Many of them house dinoflagellates in their tissue.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Corals' symbiotic "algae", zooxanthellae, is actually a dinoflagellate.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

They are animals. Many of them house dinoflagellates in their tissue.

You beat me to it by mere seconds!

 

[JayM]

The fancier the name the higher the price.

 

[Reefer Matt]

You beat me to it by mere seconds!

 

[MrGisonni]

Their bodies are composed of three tissue layers and they have no organs.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The exact composition of hard coral skeletons (whether the coral is still alive or long dead) can be a window into the past, including temperature that existed long ago.

The temperature aspect is called a paleo thermometer. Various ways of approaching this include the strontium to calcium ratio, the different isotopes of oxygen incorporated, and various other attributes of incorporated ions and isotopes.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

They are animals. Many of them house dinoflagellates in their tissue.

I feel like this is one that confuses a lot of people haha, still cool to see how they are actually animals

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

corals reefs are not just tropical. they are also found in deep cold waters off Norway.

 

[MECOMI]

They poop

The average joe does not even know they are animals, so this fact usually blows them away,

 

[Reefer Matt]

I feel like this is one that confuses a lot of people haha, still cool to see how they are actually animals

Yeah, that’s why it’s hard for me to throw coral away. With any other animal we would face animal cruelty charges, let alone the moral dilemma. But that’s a rabbit hole in itself.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

That they have no predetermined lifespan/life expectancy. They die because something caused them to; i.e., predators, ocean acidification, storms, warfare with other corals, etc.

 

[fishguy242]

Way over chopped, waaaay overpriced...

 

[Freenow54]

The exact composition of hard coral skeletons (whether the coral is still alive or long dead) can be a window into the past, including temperature that existed long ago.

The temperature aspect is called a paleo thermometer. Various ways of approaching this include the strontium to calcium ratio, the different isotopes of oxygen incorporated, and various other attributes of incorporated ions and isotopes.

I think they actually breed. I have one huge mushroom with a gigantic " foot ". I call it the mother ship

 

[Freenow54]

Ok maybe just shoot out spores I don't know

 

[Freenow54]

Started

with three see the foot on the glass?

 

[MrGisonni]

The Planet Has Lost Half of Its Coral Reefs Since 1950! ​