Flowerpot Coral

Goniopora stokesi

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia 

Filum: Cnidaria

Kelas: Hexacorallia

Ordo: Scleractinia

Famili: Poritidae

Genus: Goniopora

Habitat & Distribution : Coral reefs, Depth of 9-20m, Indo-Pacific Ocean

Diet: The photosynthetic products of zooxanthellae, along with zooplankton and small crustaceans

Size: 20 cm in diameter.

Lifespan: 10 - 20 years

Description

Goniopora stokesi is characterized by its unique flower-like appearance and its hemispherical or free-living spherical colony shape. When its polyps are fully extended, this coral resembles a dense bouquet of flowers or a 'flowerpot,' completely hiding the hard skeleton beneath.

Behavior

The Flowerpot Coral (Karang Batu Jeruk) exhibits several unique behaviors that are highly influenced by light cycles, water currents, and self-defense mechanisms. As a sensitive colonial animal, its behavior often serves as a primary indicator of its environmental health.

Reproduction

The reproduction of Goniopora stokesi occurs both sexually and asexually, with its asexual method being highly unique because the parent colony can produce small satellite colonies that detach naturally to grow independently on the seafloor. In addition, this Flowerpot Coral possesses an emergency mechanism called polyp bail-out, a behavior where individual polyps release themselves from their hard skeleton when environmental conditions worsen, allowing them to drift and find a new, healthier place to live. Meanwhile, its sexual reproduction is carried out through mass spawning, where the coral releases sperm and eggs simultaneously into the water column to produce free-swimming planula larvae before they eventually settle and form new coral colonies.

Communication & Perception

Perceptual communication in the Flowerpot Coral is how this coral 'senses' its surrounding environment and shares that information throughout its entire body. Since this coral does not have a brain, it relies on a simple nerve net and chemical sensors on its tissue to detect danger, food, or sunlight.

Predator(s)

Angelfish, butterflyfish, starfish, sea turtles, and seabirds