Is coral an animal or plant? Where are corals found in nature?

To date, about 5,000 species of coral are known. They resemble something like a tree, a bush, a carpet, a ball, etc. Decorations from corals are popular. The reason is that they are very similar to precious stones. But most people do not even know what corals are. Is it an animal or a plant? We will answer this question in this article.

Corals are an animal or plant

With the naked eye it is very difficult to understand what kind of organisms these are. This is due to several reasons. But immediately it is worth saying that the coral is an animal, not a plant. They have a skeleton that you can feel only if you feel it. You've probably heard about coral reefs. So, they consist of millions of dead organisms, which, after death, harden like a stone. If you understand in more detail, the coral is a huge number of the smallest organisms, which together form a coral polyp. The structure of the polyp is quite simple. It consists of a cylindrical body with tentacles. Between the latter there is a mouth opening.

Dimensions of corals and something else

Polyps are rather tiny, their size usually does not exceed several centimeters. As for the colony that these creatures form, it's quite another matter. For example, the polyps of the madrepore coral can reach 40-50 cm in diameter. Individual individuals are connected by means of a cenotaph. As a result, a single organism is formed. All individuals produce food together. The larger particles catch small particles, the smaller ones participate in reproduction. So we have already figured out what coral is. Is it an animal or a plant? You already know the answer to this question. It should be noted that the most ancient coral reefs were created 23 million years ago. This suggests that the polyps appeared a very long time ago. As noted above, for the most part reefs represent a large number of dead individuals. The exception is the top layer, which was formed recently.

Coral shapes and sizes

You can talk endlessly about the fact that there are a variety of color polyps. The same applies to their forms. If most corals and have the same shape, although there are exceptions, they form the most impressionable and diverse colonies. This applies not only to the shape, but also the color, as well as the dimensions. The smallest colonies are no more than a few centimeters long, and giants of the genus can reach 5-6 meters. As for the form, this is a separate conversation.

Some colonies can be very simple and represent a twig or hook. Others differ in their complexity. For example, the shape of a shrub or colony, reminiscent of the shape of a tree, is not uncommon. It is possible to wonder for an infinitely long time how such simple organisms form something so beautiful and complex. There are representatives that grow not up, but in breadth. Such colonies resemble mushrooms or small carpets. You are probably interested in what corals eat ? Is it an animal or a plant? Of course, in most cases they catch microorganisms, among which there may be both, and others (plankton).

Color coral and habitat

The coloring can be different. But most often you can see colonies of brown and red. Somewhat less often there are orange ones. It is even more difficult to find a green, pink or black colony. In the end, not every scuba diver saw corals of blue-violet or bright yellow color. They are considered very rare and do not always live. As you can see, the most different color can be coral. This animal or plant, you already know, so let's talk about where the colonies live.

The main habitat of corals is tropical and subtropical waters. The fact is that most of the species is thermophilic. But heresy, one of the subspecies, lives far in the North. It is remarkable that all polyps do not survive in fresh water, therefore absolutely all individuals live in a saline environment. Colonies settle at a shallow depth of 50 meters in places with the greatest illumination. For corals, it is extremely important that they are constantly in the water, otherwise inevitable death occurs, but some individuals learned to retain moisture for some time, for example, at low tide. The essence lies in the special form of the polyp, which resembles a shell, where moisture is stored.

A few more features

You've probably noticed that the most diverse form and color can be even the simplest coral. Is it an animal or a plant? The answer to this question was voiced at the beginning of the article. But it is worth noting that if you do not touch the polyp, it is difficult to understand whether it is alive or not. Nevertheless, you can touch the skeleton of an animal with a touch. It is interesting that polyps always settle on a solid surface, since silt is not suitable for them. Often one can observe large colonies on long-sunken ships.

The lifestyle of many species is sedentary. However, some constantly move along the bottom in search of food. By the way, corals can be safely attributed to predators. They go out hunting at night. Their tentacles protrude and catch plankton and other organisms in the water. By the way, they do not search for the day because the tentacles are very sensitive to ultraviolet, such radiation can burn them. We have already answered your question about whether corals are animals or plants. Photos of the most interesting colonies can be found in this article.

Conclusion

Despite its simplicity, polyps surprise with their beauty, many of them attract corals. The sea, especially if it is salty, can always show you the most interesting settlements of these animals. Today, very often deliberately catch whole colonies and make jewelry out of them. And they grow very slowly, about 1-3 centimeters a year. By the way, the process of growth largely depends on the illumination and saturation of water with oxygen. It is for this simple reason that this issue is increasingly emerging at meetings of researchers and conservationists. For tens of thousands of years, entire reef islands are formed, which are destroyed by man in one day. Well, that's all there is to tell about corals. Animal or plant? Of course, the animal, because these organisms can grow and connect to whole colonies and eventually build up reef islands.