what are corals exactly?
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spanko
Active Member
Here is Merriam Webster's take:
"1 a: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps ; especially : a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium) b: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton"
"1 a: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps ; especially : a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium) b: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton"
veni vidi vici
Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2854924
Here is Merriam Webster's take:
"1 a: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps ; especially : a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium) b: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton"
LOL the first part of that definition could very well describe me.
http:///forum/post/2854924
Here is Merriam Webster's take:
"1 a: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps ; especially : a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium) b: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton"
LOL the first part of that definition could very well describe me.
kaybee
New Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2854924
Here is Merriam Webster's take:
"1 a: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps ; especially : a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium) b: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton"
A very general yet un-encompassing definition. Most soft corals, as an example, would not easily fit that description.
http:///forum/post/2854924
Here is Merriam Webster's take:
"1 a: the calcareous or horny skeletal deposit produced by anthozoan or rarely hydrozoan polyps ; especially : a richly red precious coral secreted by a gorgonian (genus Corallium) b: a polyp or polyp colony together with its membranes and skeleton"
A very general yet un-encompassing definition. Most soft corals, as an example, would not easily fit that description.
mx#28
Active Member
Originally Posted by kaybee
http:///forum/post/2855455
A very general yet un-encompassing definition. Most soft corals, as an example, would not easily fit that description.
Many so-called 'soft corals' aren't actually corals.
http:///forum/post/2855455
A very general yet un-encompassing definition. Most soft corals, as an example, would not easily fit that description.
Many so-called 'soft corals' aren't actually corals.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by MX#28
http:///forum/post/2855466
Many so-called 'soft corals' aren't actually corals.
Come again?
I would define a coral as a sea dwelling animal that uses photosynthetic xoozanthellae in its tissues to suppliment glucose intake. They do not have a foot and they filter feed.
But, this isn't an all exclusive definition. I'm sure there is something out there that can also fit this description.
http:///forum/post/2855466
Many so-called 'soft corals' aren't actually corals.
Come again?
I would define a coral as a sea dwelling animal that uses photosynthetic xoozanthellae in its tissues to suppliment glucose intake. They do not have a foot and they filter feed.
But, this isn't an all exclusive definition. I'm sure there is something out there that can also fit this description.
mx#28
Active Member
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33
http:///forum/post/2855516
Come again?
I would define a coral as a sea dwelling animal that uses photosynthetic xoozanthellae in its tissues to suppliment glucose intake. They do not have a foot and they filter feed.
But, this isn't an all exclusive definition. I'm sure there is something out there that can also fit this description.
Really, it's all just scientific (taxonomic) mumbo-jumbo - but most noncalcifyng 'soft corals' (ie zoanthids and mushrooms) are not considered corals. You can define a coral however you'd like, I was just trying to add some sense to the other definition.
http:///forum/post/2855516
Come again?
I would define a coral as a sea dwelling animal that uses photosynthetic xoozanthellae in its tissues to suppliment glucose intake. They do not have a foot and they filter feed.
But, this isn't an all exclusive definition. I'm sure there is something out there that can also fit this description.
Really, it's all just scientific (taxonomic) mumbo-jumbo - but most noncalcifyng 'soft corals' (ie zoanthids and mushrooms) are not considered corals. You can define a coral however you'd like, I was just trying to add some sense to the other definition.
florida joe
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2855393
Corals are animals.
For what its worth, as Bang said the Greek philosopher Aristotle described what we know as coral as animals and named them “cnidae” meaning stinging nettle. The English word coral also comes from the Greek, meaning, “What becomes hard in your hand” (stop smiling) “The maiden or nymph of the sea” or the “heart of the sea” depending on who is translating Greek into English.
The notion of corals hardening when removed from the water is attributed to early collection of Mediterranean horny corals, which are flexible in water but turn hard when removed.
A French ships doctor Jean André de Peysonnel studied corals and gorgonians in the early to mid 1700s and made an important observation, by closely viewing the moving tentacle on live recently harvested corals he became convinced the these polyps were exhibiting feeding behaviors and were much more then plants which many people believed. He presented his findings to the
[hr]
(for some reason i can not type that famous city in France) academy in 1726 but it was not until 25 years later that his theory that corals are animals was accepted
http:///forum/post/2855393
Corals are animals.
For what its worth, as Bang said the Greek philosopher Aristotle described what we know as coral as animals and named them “cnidae” meaning stinging nettle. The English word coral also comes from the Greek, meaning, “What becomes hard in your hand” (stop smiling) “The maiden or nymph of the sea” or the “heart of the sea” depending on who is translating Greek into English.
The notion of corals hardening when removed from the water is attributed to early collection of Mediterranean horny corals, which are flexible in water but turn hard when removed.
A French ships doctor Jean André de Peysonnel studied corals and gorgonians in the early to mid 1700s and made an important observation, by closely viewing the moving tentacle on live recently harvested corals he became convinced the these polyps were exhibiting feeding behaviors and were much more then plants which many people believed. He presented his findings to the
[hr]
(for some reason i can not type that famous city in France) academy in 1726 but it was not until 25 years later that his theory that corals are animals was accepted
alix2.0
Active Member
Originally Posted by kaybee
http:///forum/post/2854919
They're not plants and are somewhat related to anemonies and jellyfish (perhaps belonging to the same phylum).
Not all corals build calcium skeletons.
cnidarians
http:///forum/post/2854919
They're not plants and are somewhat related to anemonies and jellyfish (perhaps belonging to the same phylum).
Not all corals build calcium skeletons.
cnidarians
mantisman51
Active Member
I guess the main point is-strange animals with some plant characteristics.(?)
peef
Active Member
Corals are a community of individual polyps growing and interacting together in unison. They are an animal. They have zooxanthelia (sp) that live inside their tissue. Zooxanthelia is a microscopic algae. The coral and the algae have a next to perfect symbiotic relationship with each other. The algae uses photosynthesis to survive and get its nutrients, sugars and proteins. The algae produces byproducts that are a waste matter to it but to the actual coral is another food source.
Corals are in the same phylum as jellyfish which is cnidaria. They are immensly close in relation. There is a type of coral that is called "fire coral" it is a hard encrusting coral that stings like a sun of a gun. It is so closely related to jellyfish that it is actually not even classified as a coral, it is classified as a hydrozoid. Corals like jellyfish have stinging cells that are called nematocysts (sp) which do have the ability to sting like a jelly but can't always pierce the skin of a human but will dominate a microscopic crustation. So corals are not "plants" but do have plants in them.
Now there are non-photosynthetic corals as well but that a whole other ball park in the scheme of things.
Corals are in the same phylum as jellyfish which is cnidaria. They are immensly close in relation. There is a type of coral that is called "fire coral" it is a hard encrusting coral that stings like a sun of a gun. It is so closely related to jellyfish that it is actually not even classified as a coral, it is classified as a hydrozoid. Corals like jellyfish have stinging cells that are called nematocysts (sp) which do have the ability to sting like a jelly but can't always pierce the skin of a human but will dominate a microscopic crustation. So corals are not "plants" but do have plants in them.
Now there are non-photosynthetic corals as well but that a whole other ball park in the scheme of things.