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coral
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Fish (centre) in brain coral. soft coral coral polyp
Learn how non-mobile male and female corals reproduce by releasing gametes that form planulae
sea fan blue coral
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Stony coral (Diploria).
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Staghorn coral (genus Acropora).
For Students
Soft coral (Sarcophyton)
coral summary
Quizzes
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Fish (centre) in brain coral.
Fish (centre) in brain coral.

coral

invertebrate
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coral, any of a variety of invertebrate marine organisms of the class Anthozoa (phylum Cnidaria) that are characterized by skeletons—external or internal—of a stonelike, horny, or leathery consistency. The term coral is also applied to the skeletons of those animals, particularly to those of the stonelike corals. Stony corals (order Madreporaria or Scleractinia) number about 1,000 species; black corals and thorny corals (Antipatharia), about 100 species; horny corals, or gorgonians (Gorgonacea), about 1,200 species; and blue corals (Coenothecalia), one living species. The body of a coral animal consists of a polyp—a hollow cylindrical structure attached at its lower end to ...(100 of 653 words)

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