Brain coral

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Brain coral
Temporal range: Middle Triassic–Recent
Favites abdita.jpg
Favites abdita in the family Merulinidae
Manicina areolata (rose coral) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) 2 (15472166633).jpg
Manicina areolata in the family Mussidae (Faviidae)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Groups included
Diploria labyrinthiformis (grooved brain coral) Brain coral.jpg
Diploria labyrinthiformis (grooved brain coral)

Brain coral is a common name given to various corals in the families Mussidae and Merulinidae, so called due to their generally spheroid shape and grooved surface which resembles a brain. Each head of coral is formed by a colony of genetically identical polyps which secrete a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate; this makes them important coral reef builders like other stony corals in the order Scleractinia. Brain corals are found in shallow warm water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. They are part of the phylum Cnidaria, in a class called Anthozoa or "flower animals". The lifespan of the largest brain corals is 900 years. Colonies can grow as large as 1.8 m (6 ft) or more in height. [1] [2]

Contents

Brain corals extend their tentacles to catch food at night. During the day, they use their tentacles for protection by wrapping them over the grooves on their surface. The surface is hard and offers good protection against fish or hurricanes. Branching corals, such as staghorn corals, grow more rapidly, but are more vulnerable to storm damage. Like other genera of corals, brain corals feed on small drifting animals, and also receive nutrients provided by the algae which live within their tissues. The behavior of one of the most common genera, Favia , is semiaggressive; it will sting other corals with its extended sweeper tentacles during the night. [3] [4]

The grooved surface of brain corals has been used by scientists to investigate methods of giving spherical wheels appropriate grip strength. [5]

Genera

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black coral</span> Order of soft deep-water corals with chitin skeletons

Antipatharians, also known as black corals or thorn corals, are an order of soft deep-water corals. These corals can be recognized by their jet-black or dark brown chitin skeletons, which are surrounded by their colored polyps. Antipatharians are a cosmopolitan order, existing in nearly every oceanic location and depth, with the sole exception of brackish waters. However, they are most frequently found on continental slopes under 50 m (164 ft) deep. A black coral reproduces both sexually and asexually throughout its lifetime. Many black corals provide housing, shelter, food, and protection for other animals.

<i>Acropora</i> Genus of stony coral

Acropora is a genus of small polyp stony coral in the phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral, and staghorn coral. Over 149 species are described. Acropora species are some of the major reef corals responsible for building the immense calcium carbonate substructure that supports the thin living skin of a reef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actiniidae</span> Family of sea anemones

Actiniidae is the largest family of sea anemones, to which most common, temperate, shore species belong. Most members of this family do not participate in symbioses with fishes. Three exceptions are the bubble-tip anemone, snakelocks anemone and Urticina piscivora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mussidae</span> Family of corals

Mussidae is a family of stony coral in the order Scleractinia. Following a taxonomic revision in 2012, the family is now restricted to species found in the Atlantic Ocean, with Pacific species transferred to the new family Lobophylliidae. Many species are referred to as brain coral because their generally spheroid form and grooved surface resembles the convolutions of a brain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caryophylliidae</span> Family of stony corals

The Caryophylliidae are a family of stony corals found from the tropics to temperate seas, and from shallow to very deep water.

<i>Acanthastrea</i> Genus of corals

Acanthastrea is a genus of large polyp stony corals in the family Lobophylliidae. The colonies are massive and usually flat. The corallites are either circular or angular in shape. The septa are thick near the wall of the corallite, becoming thin near the columella, and have tall teeth. The polyps are extended only at night.

<i>Goniopora</i> Genus of corals

Goniopora, often called flowerpot coral, is a genus of colonial stony coral found in lagoons and turbid water conditions. Goniopora have numerous daisy-like polyps that extend outward from the base, each tipped with 24 stinging tentacles which surrounds a mouth.

<i>Favia</i> Genus of corals

Favia is a genus of reef-building stony corals in the family Mussidae. Members of the genus are massive or thickly encrusting colonial corals, either dome-shaped or flat, and a few are foliaceous. There is a great diversity of form even among individuals of the same species. The corallites project slightly above the surface of the coral and each has its own wall. In most species, the corallites are plocoid and in some, monocentric. The septa and costae linked to the corallite wall are well developed and covered by fine teeth. The polyps only extend and feed during the night. Each one has a small number of tapering tentacles which often have a darker coloured tip; these are called stinger tentacles, or sweeper tentacles. They use these to sweep the water to see if any other coral is in its area; if so, then they begin to sting the other coral. This is commonly known as coral war. Each coral is trying to make sure it has enough room around it so it can continue to grow and have more surface area for its offspring. The columella is parietal and spongy, and there are vesicles on both the endotheca and exotheca. Members of this genus are widespread in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific.

<i>Lobophyllia</i> Genus of corals

Lobophyllia, commonly called lobed brain coral or lobo coral, is a genus of large polyp stony corals. Members of this genus are sometimes found in reef aquariums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astrocoeniidae</span> Family of corals

Astrocoeniidae is a family of stony corals. The family is distributed across the tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.

<i>Scolymia</i> Genus of corals

Scolymia, commonly called scoly coral, is a genus of large-polyp stony corals (Scleractinia). These animals are believed date back to the Miocene with three extant species present in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Diploria</i> Genus of corals

Diploria is a monotypic genus of massive reef building stony corals in the family Mussidae. It is represented by a single species, Diploria labyrinthiformis, commonly known as grooved brain coral and is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It has a familiar, maze-like appearance.

<i>Pseudodiploria strigosa</i> Species of coral

Pseudodiploria strigosa, the symmetrical brain coral, is a colonial species of stony coral in the family Mussidae. It occurs on reefs in shallow water in the West Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It grows slowly and lives to a great age.

<i>Colpophyllia</i> Genus of corals

Colpophyllia is a genus of stony corals in the family Mussidae. It is monotypic with a single species, Colpophyllia natans, commonly known as boulder brain coral or large-grooved brain coral. It inhabits the slopes and tops of reefs, to a maximum depth of fifty metres. It is characterised by large, domed colonies, which may be up to two metres across, and by the meandering network of ridges and valleys on its surface. The ridges are usually brown with a single groove, and the valleys may be tan, green, or white and are uniform in width, typically 2 centimetres. The polyps only extend their tentacles at night.

<i>Pseudodiploria clivosa</i> Species of coral

Pseudodiploria clivosa, the knobby brain coral, is a colonial species of stony coral in the family Mussidae. It occurs in shallow water in the West Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

<i>Dichocoenia</i> Genus of corals

Dichocoenia is a monotypic genus of stony coral in the family Meandrinidae. It is represented by a single species, Dichocoenia stokesii, which is commonly known as pineapple coral, elliptical star coral, or pancake star coral. It is mostly found in the Caribbean Sea and the western Atlantic Ocean. Dichocoenia stokesii has irregular calyces and its form can be either a massive, hemispherical hump or a flat, platform-like structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merulinidae</span> Family of corals

Merulinidae is a family of reef-building stony corals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flabellidae</span> Family of corals

Flabellidae is a family of marine corals. It consists of the following genera:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euphylliidae</span> Family of marine coral known as Euphylliidae

Euphylliidae are known as a family of polyped stony corals under the order Scleractinia.

References

  1. "What are Brain Corals?".
  2. Aronson, R.; Bruckner, A.; Moore, J.; Precht, B.; E. Weil (2008). "Diploria labyrinthiformis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T133257A3657726. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T133257A3657726.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. "Brain Coral Fact File". Archived from the original on 2 April 2009.
  4. "Grooved Brain Coral".
  5. David Gibson, Can a rubber ball reinvent the wheel?, BBC, 8 March 2016