Anchor coral
Anchor coral
Taksonomi
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Euphylliidae
Genus: Fimbriaphyllia
Habitat & Distribution : Indo-Western Pacific Ocean
Diet : Plankton
Size: Colony maximum diameter: 100 cm
Lifespan: 20 years
Deskripsi
Anchor corals are recognizable by their long, tubular tentacles with T-shaped tips, resembling anchors. They are blue-grey to orange in color, sometimes with large, thick green tentacles.
Behavior
Their tentacles are used to sting and defend against neighboring corals or animals.
Reproduction
They reproduce both sexually, through synchronized broadcast spawning of gametes in late spring, and asexually, through budding new polyp heads.
Communication & Perception
They engage mostly in silent communication with its environment and neighboring organisms, primarily through chemical signaling
Predators
Angelfish, butterfly fish, sea snails, sea stars
Conservation Status : Vulnerable/ Appendix II
Fun Fact
The Nailhead coral is a type of hard coral found to possess and express green fluorescent protein (GFP), which causes it to fluoresce green under UV light. The function of GFP is still being studied, but it is thought to protect the coral from excessive UV exposure.