The Characteristics of Coral

Body

• Corals have short, round, tubular bodies designed to attach themselves to rocks and other surfaces. This is done so they can feed on bacteria and other microscopic organisms to survive. They use this tubular body to attach themselves like a suction cup to the colony surface. They have a bony exoskeleton made of calcified material that protects them from harm. In many species, the polyps in the body contain microscopic cellular plants.

Size

• Corals are very small animals. They usually measure a few inches in diameter, extending outward in a mushroomlike pattern. Corals also tend to look larger because they group together on a surface to form a sort of sea colony. Sexual reproduction is done by means of eggs and sperm, which are released into the water and the resulting larvae attach themselves to a new surface to begin a new life as an independent colony.

Color

• There are natural pigments in the coral tissue that project a wide variety of colors, including blue, green, yellow and orange. Algae attached to the coral colony can sometimes give the coral a sort of brownish appearance. Some coral also have needlelike structures that project other colors, such as red and purple.

Tentacles

• Corals have tentacles (usually six or eight) that are used for defense and moving food toward the mouth. Some of these tentacles have a line of capsules filled with potent venom that is injected into a potential predator's skin to paralyze them. These are quite useful when the coral is being threatened by a dangerous predator.