What does octocorallia eat?
They primarily feed on microplankton, filtering the water through their feathery tentacles to ensnare tiny food particles and then retract to pull the prey in. The polyps can completely retract into the surface.
Can Octocoral build reefs?
Octocorals contribute to the structure of reef communities through the production of allelopathic compounds that drive interactions with other organisms6,7.
What does octocorallia do?
The channels interconnect the gastrovascular cavities of the polyps, allowing water and nutrients to flow freely between all the members of the colony. The skeletal material, called coenenchyme, is composed of living tissue secreted by numerous wandering amoebocytes.
What requirements do the dinoflagellates Zooxanthellae have?
During the day, they provide their host with the organic carbon products of photosynthesis, sometimes providing up to 90% of their host’s energy needs for metabolism, growth and reproduction. In return, they receive nutrients, carbon dioxide, and an elevated position with access to sunshine.
Can coral be black?
Black corals are rarely black, but rather vary in color from white to red, green, yellow, or brown. They also range in shape from small bushes to bottle brushes to fans to single stalks. The black corals differ greatly from stony corals in terms of their skeletons.
Where are Octocorallia found?
Octocorallia comprises approximately 3200 species of soft corals found in all marine environments. These are diverse on shallow tropical reefs and in deep-sea habitats, where they are often dominant space-occupiers and important structural components of the community (McFadden et al., 2010).
Is soft coral a plant?
Although many resemble plants, they are actually animals. Soft corals are colonial organisms, which means they are formed of colonies of polyps. They may harbor zooxanthellae, algae that live within coral polyps and can produce brilliant colors.
Do zooxanthellae have cell walls?
The cell wall of zooxanthellae varies in structure across species. One structure consists of an outer membrane, middle layer compact with electrons, and a thin inner layer. In other species, the characteristics of this low-density inner layer make up the cell wall’s entire structure.
Which is the best description of an Octocorallia?
Introduction to the Octocorallia 1 Telestacea . Muricea, pictured above, is an alcyonacean soft coral. 2 Stolonifera . 3 Gorgonacea . The Pennatulacea includes the sea pens and sea pansies. 4 Helioporacea . Except for the “blue coral” and “organ-pipe corals,” few octocorals produce substantial calcium carbonate… More
How does an octocoral minimize the risk of mortality?
By attaining a “threshold” size as rapidly as possible, octocorals may minimize the elevated risk of mortality associated with small colony size (Harvell and Grosberg 1988; Gutierrez-Rodriguez and Lasker 2004; Kapela and Lasker 1999). The basic reproductive anatomy of octocorals is typical of anthozoans.
What are the different types of octocoral corals?
Others are the beautiful Gorgonians or Horn Corals, known as Sea Fans and Sea Whips. There are also very unique Octocorals like the Blue Coral, the Mat Polyps which include the Organ Pipe Corals and Green Star Polyps, and the Sea Pens too.
Where are octocorals found in the marine ecosystem?
Octocorals are one of the most ubiquitous benthic organisms in marine ecosystems from the shallow tropics to the Antarctic deep sea, providing habitat for numerous organisms as well as ecosystem services for humans.