#meandrinidae

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Pillar corals look soft and fuzzy, but that fuzz has a purpose! Unlike most hard corals, pillar corals keep the tentacles in their polyps extended to catch plankton in the water. This provides an important supplement to the nutrition they get from the photosynthetic algae that lives in their cells.

(Image: Pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) by FWC Fish and Wildlife Services)

[snototter]

Detail of a Pillar Coral (Dendrogyra cylindrical) Utila, Honduras

by George Stoyle