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Favites petagona
Pic#1 shows close-up of the individual polyps, which are less than 1 cm in diameter. Pic#2 shows the whole colony. The polyps are usually closed during day time and opens up at night, showing its tentacles for feeding. A coral "group" is a colony of myriad genetically identical polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in length. A set of tentacles surround a central mouth opening. An exoskeleton is excreted near the base. Over many generations, the colony thus creates a large skeleton that is characteristic of the species. Individual heads grow by asexual reproduction of polyps. Corals also breed sexually by spawning: polyps of the same species release gametes simultaneously over a period of one to several nights around a full moon.
Tropical reefs
Spotted on Feb 28, 2016
Submitted on Mar 2, 2016
4 Comments
Thanks, @venusflytrap2000 and @Leuba :)
Thanks too, @Ashley for the nomination.
My favourite Coral. Thanks for sharing this beauty ! I have embroidered this on a cushion cover - very intriguing.
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Great shots, Albert!