The beauty of the underwater world, its splendor and diversity always amazes nature lovers who go to see marine life. At the heart of this diversity are some very unusual inhabitants.

Introducing interesting facts about corals

Corals have the most extraordinary range of colors, which shimmer beautifully in the ocean depths.

In total, there are more than 6 thousand such underwater inhabitants in the world and this is one of the richest species of coelenterates.

Corals are quite picky

So, for their growth they need adequate conditions: sufficient salinity of water, transparency, warmth and a lot of food. That is why coral reefs live in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

It is interesting that in the World Ocean the area of ​​coral reefs totals about 27 million square meters. km.

The Great Barrier Reef is considered one of the greatest creations of these underwater growths. It extends near Australia.

Lime reserves thanks to coral reefs are almost inexhaustible

Some areas of such reefs are so large that they can rightfully be called coral islands.

Coral islands have their own life and vegetation. You can even find cacti and tall shrubs here.

The local population uses corals to make jewelry.

The results are very beautiful and rainbow-colored products for the summer season.

Corals are also used as a building material, polishing metal surfaces and producing medicines.

If a person is damaged by the coral barrier, the skin will take a very long time to heal. Even suppuration may appear at the wound site, regardless of whether the coral is poisonous or not.

Corals have special cells designed to protect

They are called stinging insects and at the moment of danger they release poison.

The Hindus had a belief that only men should wear red corals, and only women should wear white corals. It was believed that these colors are a kind of symbolism of one and the other sex, and in the case of “wrong wear”, each of them acquired the character traits of the opposite. How true this is is unknown.

Today, few men wear coral products. Well, women allow themselves any color scheme, including red. Apparently, it is precisely because of this that emancipation is flourishing in our country.

You will find other interesting facts about corals on the Internet.

There are more than 5000 different types of corals. The length of the coral polyp does not exceed 1 cm, and in all other respects it is very similar to an anemone. In fact, sea anemones are coral polyps, but solitary and without a skeleton. Most coral species live in tropical seas. Some polyps live solitarily, but most species form large colonies. Some build a strong skeleton around themselves. It is from these skeletons that coral reefs gradually form. The skeleton of horn corals resembles a branched tree or antlers. The skeleton of soft corals is like spongy rubber jelly. Corals- These are coelenterates. Like everyone else, they obtain food with hunting tentacles. But unlike other classes, coral polyps do not have a jellyfish stage in their life cycle; they spend their entire lives as polyps. In a coral colony, each polyp is connected to neighboring living tissue, most often in the area of ​​the sole. Thus, the colony acts as one giant super organism. Each polyp catches prey independently, but then the food is distributed among neighboring members of the colony. This is important because in some corals certain polyps cannot feed themselves; their function is to protect or support the colony by building up the exoskeleton.

In reef-building corals, each polyp forms a cup-shaped skeleton under itself and on the sides of the body from calcium salts dissolved in water. When danger arises, such as an attack or a starfish eating the corals, they are pulled into a protective cup. Later, when the danger has passed, the animal leans out.
Feeding polyps spread small tentacles and catch food particles brought by waves and currents. Hunting tentacles capture small animals and protozoa and direct food into the mouth, like their large relatives -. Many polyps go hunting only at night. It is at this time that marine plankton rises closer to the surface. Polyps with fluttering, shiny tentacles make coral reefs look like a sparkling, multi-colored carpet.
Under favorable conditions, usually at night during a full moon, all the corals in a certain area simultaneously release eggs and sperm into the water. Clouds of reproductive products float near the surface. Each egg is fertilized by a sperm and develops into a tiny larva that swims in the sea for some time. Later it sinks to the seabed, attaches itself to rocks and develops into a coral polyp equipped with a corolla of tentacles. If this single individual survives safely, after a few weeks it buds several new polyps - a small colony is formed. As the number of individuals increases, the colony grows.

Coral polyp resembles a miniature sea anemone. His body is entirely occupied by the digestive cavity. Folds of the inner layer of cells (mesentery), growing inside the cavity, increase the surface area for absorption of nutrients.
Some corals form bright, branched growths that are hard and leathery to the touch.
Reefs formed by corals have many cavities, caves and overhangs - perfect shelters for other creatures!
During the breeding season, corals release clouds of eggs and sperm into the seawater.

Groups of corals:
- Madrepore corals – with a stony skeleton, the main reef builders.
- Alcyonaria (soft corals)
- Horn corals (gorgonians) – sea fans
- Sea feathers

Coral polyps or marine ones are living creatures that may not move at all, and if they move, then very little. They live at the very bottom of the sea in large groups, rarely alone and do not have a backbone.

You can find a more precise definition of what polyps are; biologists say they are certain forms of aquatic animals that have stopped at a certain stage of development. And at the next stage you get a jellyfish. Among this class one can count about 6 thousand species, among them there are even those that do not have a skeleton, which consists only of protein.

If you translate the name of coral polyps literally from Latin, you get this funny name - animal - flower. It is this name that indicates the shape of the polyps themselves. All of them really resemble a flower, they can be of different diameters, sometimes reaching a diameter of about 60 cm, and the height may well be a meter. Coral polyps can be used as decoration in an aquarium, and jewelers also use them to make jewelry.

Coral grows about one centimeter per year if they grow in comfortable conditions. They grow at great depths, because this is where a large amount of plankton lives, and they feed on it. And large polyps that live alone can feed on small fish.

Polyps can reproduce in two ways: the first is a larva, which is obtained from the mating of jellyfish, it settles somewhere and begins to grow. The second is the division of polyps into parts, in other words, infertile reproduction. Jellyfish appear due to polyps.

There are types of polyps that cannot turn into jellyfish. Such polyps create coral reefs; they have only a skeleton consisting of lime.

Since it was already said earlier that some polyps do not have a skeleton, sea anemone is one of them. It lives alone and can be of impressive size - about one and a half meters. They lead an exclusively sedentary lifestyle, but can also coexist with some species of fish. Very large sea anemones can even feed on medium-sized fish. They can easily move along the bottom by squeezing and unclenching their soles, but very slowly.

In nature, there are not only polyps that do not turn into jellyfish, since they lack this stage, but there are also jellyfish that cannot become polyps.

Polyps are very important in the environment; they purify seawater from organic particles. Coral limestone can also be used for construction, but not in all countries. It is coral polyps that take part in the formation of reefs.

Coral polyps are the most amazing creations of mother nature. There are about six thousand species. They live at shallow depths - from 20 to 40 meters, mainly in tropical latitudes. Coral polyps love warmth, but not heat. Due to global warming, some species have begun to die out, but their place is being actively taken by others, more resilient. They live in huge colonies and live alone. But in any form, coral polyps are bewitchingly beautiful.

When polyps die, they leave behind their skeletons, which add another layer to that great structure, the construction of which began, perhaps, millions of years ago. This is how coral islands and reefs arose, and probably still do, arise, grow and rise.

When you find yourself in the coral jungle, you are simply lost in the frenzy of colors and beauty, in this unbridled fantasy of nature. Here are gorgonians - sea fans. Openwork coral polyps grow upwards and to the sides. They form such stunningly beautiful designs and figures that you can admire them endlessly. By the way, they do not need a solid base and can be attached to any crevice, or even in sand.

Hovering above the bottom, we admired the numerous fish scurrying around in the coral thickets. Butterfly fish, small groupers, clown fish that fearlessly dive into the poisonous tentacles of polyps, numerous cleaner fish, surgeon fish.

Suddenly we saw how a couple of small sea anemones (these are also polyps) began to carefully move to the side. We were taken aback - sea anemones cannot move on their own. Take a closer look - this is a hermit crab wearing an anemone on its house. This is such a mutually beneficial community, symbiosis. The sea anemone protects the crayfish with its poisonous tentacles, and the crayfish, moving along the bottom, gives the sea anemone more opportunities to hunt. But over time, the cancer grows and its house becomes too small for it. Then the cancer begins to look for a more suitable shell. Having found it, he first tries it on to see if the new home is comfortable, and then carefully transplants his companion (or several companions) anemone onto a new shell. This is how they live, this is how they travel, providing each other with food.

And those sea anemones that lead a sedentary lifestyle are excellent friends with the same clown fish. These nimble, brightly colored creatures scurry around all the time in the immediate vicinity of poisonous tentacles, which, however, do not bother these fish at all. But the fish themselves, with their colors, serve as bait for other predators. Unsuspecting hunters rush at the clown fish, which instantly disappears into the thickets of sea anemone tentacles. But these same tentacles paralyze the hunter. And now there is a ready-made lunch for both the sea anemone and the bait.

Bizarre coral grottoes serve as a reliable refuge for many sea inhabitants. Some sleep in them, like moray eels, for example, and some sit in ambush, waiting for prey, like this little octopus. He jumped out of his hiding place for prey, but saw us and ran away.

Watching the inhabitants of the coral reef, you begin to understand why they are not afraid of us. When huge liners plow the ocean expanses, when the noise of ship propellers carries for many miles, and we stand at the side, peering into the water column and seeing nothing there except white foam, we then say that the ocean is empty, there is nothing to see there, and there is no There's nothing interesting in the ocean. An experienced hunter will never rush through the forest with noise and noise, scaring away all the animals in the area. He will simply sit quietly in a secluded place on a stump and wait patiently. And soon a curious animal will suddenly rush past him, and another will stop to look...
So we acted like that same experienced hunter. Hovering calmly over the coral reef, we saw and captured many things that cannot be seen from the surface of the sea, but which forever left indelible impressions in our memory.

Polynesia. The land of thousands of islands, friendly people, fabulous beauty. The beauties are not only terrestrial, but also underwater. This is a real Mecca for scuba diving enthusiasts. Calm lagoons, crystal clear, warm water and the amazing world of coral jungle.

When you plunge into this magical world, the first thing that strikes you is the frantic riot of colors. Very close to the surface is a coral jungle. Coral polyps have created such a magical kingdom that you simply freeze in admiration. They move their tentacles, and it seems that these underwater plants are moving from the water wind. But suddenly, as if by magic, as if on command, these tentacles disappear and now in front of us is just a coral cover of the bottom of the lagoon.

And after a while they appear again. And again the thick tentacles sway and clown fish scurry between them, hiding at the slightest suspicion of danger. These interesting fish live among the tentacles of coral polyps. But the tentacles of polyps are stinging. But this is how they live together. The polyps protect the fish, and in return they get scraps from the fish table.

When you sail over the coral jungle, you never cease to be amazed and admire the ingenuity of nature. And you involuntarily think about the fact that nature created this beauty not thousands, not hundreds of thousands, but millions of years. After all, it wasn’t immediately that everything became so wonderful here. Colonies of coral polyps were born and died. And each dead generation laid a new layer on top of the previous ones. And how many millennia did it take for beautiful islands and atolls to emerge and rise above the water for the Great Barrier Reef to appear!

Bizarre coral jungles, caves, and grottoes slowly float by below. From everywhere, thousands of eyes are watching us, sometimes warily, sometimes with curiosity. Everywhere - above, below, on all sides we are surrounded by countless inhabitants of this coral hostel. Here a beautiful lionfish floats by, lazily moving its fins. She is truly beautiful - this is an indisputable fact. But the fact is that you need to stay away from this beauty. Lionfish is one of the most dangerous fish. Its fins are poisonous. And the poison is so dangerous that if a person stumbles upon even one of the fin spines, he will receive a severe painful shock, after which death can occur.

We go around a small rock. And below is a small quaint grotto. And in this grotto, after a night hunt and a hearty meal, a moray eel rests. She seems to be chewing all the time. But no, this predator is sleeping. And it moves its jaws because it breathes like that - it drives water through its gills. But she doesn’t close her jaw. There is a “sanitary hour” in her mouth. The cleaner shrimp fearlessly scurries around in the mouth of the moray eel, picking out leftover food. This work is not easy. But there are more than enough people who want it. Here are the cleaner fish, scurrying around on the sidelines. True, since the mouth is already occupied by competitors, they process the moray eel from the outside.

In general, they are extremely interesting to watch. Sometimes large fish themselves swim here to be looked after. They spread their fins, open their gills, and open their mouths, thereby showing the cleaner fish that they want to be cleaned. And the little fish set to work with great zeal. And when the big fish decides that everything is fine, it sharply closes its mouth for a couple of seconds, then opens it and releases the little orderlies from there.

Here's another interesting scene. Experienced people say that we are simply lucky to have stumbled upon such an idyll. Usually moray eels lie down in their shelters, in coral grottoes, alone. And here there are two at once, in an embrace, and one of them is leopard print.

They did not disturb the loving couple and hurried away. But the coral jungle, this fantastic country built over millions of years by tiny coral polyps, does not let go so easily.
How could one not take a picture of this “mutually beneficial cooperation” - cleaner fish cleaning a turtle’s shell? They didn’t let us get close, but, nevertheless, this fact of cooperation was captured by our camera.

But, of course, the most important character in our photographs was the corals. Their fantastic, unbridled beauty was mesmerizing. Here is a purely subjective - perhaps not very euphonious name - “coral polyps”. But even if you see with your own eyes what these tiny builders have created over millions of years, it will make absolutely no difference what they are called. Because this is a real miracle!

If you have ever dived into the depths of the sea, you have probably seen bright corals of bizarre shapes there. They look like beautiful living bushes with numerous branches that you will not find in an ordinary garden.

Are corals an animal or a plant? This thought comes first when you encounter this marine miracle. For a long time, scientists could not understand what type of organisms corals belong to. Only in 1982 did a French researcher prove that these are not marine plants.

Coral base

They are made up of very small organisms called polyps. This is a class of coelenterate invertebrates that can live either in colonies or alone. Today there are approximately 6,000 species.

These multicellular organisms have appeared since the time of ancient mammoths. They have only one cavity - the intestines, with the help of which food is digested. Hence their name - coelenterates. Therefore, there is no dispute about whether corals are an animal or a plant. Polyps can have different sizes - from a millimeter to several centimeters.

There are also huge ones - half a meter in diameter. These include representatives of the madrepore species. From numerous polyps emerges one large organism that resembles a huge bush, attracting the attention of divers.

Polyp structure and nutrition

It is quite primitive and resembles a cylinder with tentacles. Some polyps have a skeleton that is made of calcium. Not all polyps can move along the seabed. Only their tentacles bend, helping to obtain food. How does this happen? The coral tentacles pull small fish and shrimp into their nets.

In the intestinal cavity, the polyp has cilia that create a water flow. Thanks to it, oxygen and food enter the body. We hope we have answered the question of whether corals are an animal or a plant.

Dimensions and shape

The rich variety of wonderful living organisms knows no bounds. The smallest coral reefs can be several centimeters in length, the largest reach a height of more than 5 meters! Their shape can be very diverse: in the form of a twig, a curved hook, a barrel, a feather, or even in the form of a household item.

There are also more complex corals that resemble a fan, bird, or animal in appearance. Some colonies grow upward, others wider. They often look like spread out colorful carpets. What types of corals are there? Their colors are very different - shades of red, black, pink, green. Corals of blue and purple colors are quite rare.

The peculiarities of coral polyps are such that they are found only in tropical and subtropical waters. Some species live in the polar seas in the north. For example, Gersemia. Another noteworthy thing is that all corals live mainly in salty, clean waters.

Many types of corals prefer to live at shallow depths, which are well illuminated by daylight. This is due to the fact that this living organism lives in collaboration with algae, which need light for photosynthesis. What types of corals are there? The most famous are porite, mushroom-shaped, and black. There are about 400 species of corals in the Great Barrier Reef alone!

Deep polyps

These include curved corals called bathypates. They can be found at depths of over 8000 meters! Colonies appear only at the bottom of the solid substance. Also excellent habitats for them are sunken ships, airplanes, and underwater structures.

Deep-sea corals prefer a sessile lifestyle. Some of them can move along the seabed, but very slowly. Despite the fact that the structure of corals is primitive, they have complex biological rhythms.

Most often, this unusual organism behaves actively at night. Corals throw out their tentacles like nets and wait for food. With the onset of dawn, the polyps shrink and prefer to be at rest.

Coral propagation

Scientists believe that this marine organism can reproduce both vegetatively and sexually. Amazing ability, isn't it? Vegetative consists of fragmentation and then separation of the “child” from the parent polyp.

Typically, a coral forms a small “plate” on its leg, which then detaches and takes root at the bottom of the sea soil. The sexual method suggests that the corals must be male and female. This is not observed in all polyps. Reproduction in this case occurs as follows: during fertilization, sperm penetrate the gastric cavity. Then they go outside and find themselves in the mouth area of ​​the female polyp.

Cell division occurs traditionally. As a result of embryonic development, small larvae are formed, which then swim freely in the water. Such information should dispel doubts among those people who still have not found a clear answer to the question of whether corals are an animal or a plant.

A little about the benefits

Corals delight the eye with their unusual appearance, but this is not their only advantage. In fact, they are the builders of the marine ecosystem. Moreover, they organize it without unnecessary fuss. By forming colonies, they provide shelter for various marine inhabitants, such as eels, stingrays, starfish and various fish.

Jewelers claim that marine polyps are an excellent material for making various products. It is known that in ancient times coral necklaces were hung around the necks of small children to promote better teeth growth. It was also believed that sea gifts help in difficult situations. Therefore, they were used as an amulet that could protect against the evil eye and give strength in difficult situations. Traditional healers believe that corals regulate metabolism, have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, and improve memory.

In conclusion, I would like to note that corals belong to the animal world and you can tell a lot of interesting things about them.