Corals and anemones are both marine invertebrates that live in symbiotic relationships with algae. Coral is a stony polyp that secretes calcium carbonate to build a hard skeleton, while anemone is a soft-bodied creature that does not have an exoskeleton.
What is coral?
Coral is a marine invertebrate that belongs to the class Anthozoa in the phylum Cnidaria. Coral polyps are attached to the coral skeleton and secrete calcium carbonate, which forms the hard exoskeleton that supports the coral colony. Coral reefs are formed when many coral colonies grow close together.
Coral polyps vary in size and shape, but they all have tentacles that they use to capture prey. The mouth of the coral polyp is located at the centre of the oral disk, and it has a gastrovascular cavity that digests food and distributes nutrients throughout the body.
Coral can be found in a variety of colours, including pink, yellow, blue, and green. The colour of a coral colony is determined by the type of algae that lives within its tissues. When coral is stressed, it may expel the algae, which causes it to turn white.
What is an anemone?
Anemones are a type of marine invertebrate that belong to the phylum Cnidaria. They are typically found in shallow water habitats and can be either sessile or motile. Most anemones have a columnar body with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. Some anemones also have a gas-filled sac, called an ampulla, which helps them to float.
Anemones are predators that use their stinging tentacles to capture prey. The stinging cells, called cnidocytes, contain venom that is used to paralyze and kill the prey. Anemones will then consume the prey whole. Some anemones also have symbiotic relationships with certain species of fish, such as clownfish. The clownfish provide the anemone with protection from predators in exchange for food scraps.
How do coral and anemone differ?
Coral is a type of animal, while anemone is a type of plant. Though they both live in the ocean, they have different anatomy, and different life cycles, and serve different purposes in the ecosystem.
Coral is a solid skeleton made of calcium carbonate, while anemones do not have a solid skeleton. Coral also has tiny algae living inside its tissues, which give it its colouration; anemones do not have this symbiotic relationship with algae. Also, coral polyps are generally much smaller than anemone polyps.
Corals live in colonies that can be very large; a single coral colony can have thousands of polyps. Anemones, on the other hand, are mostly solitary creatures. There are a few species of anemone that do form colonies, but these are much less common than coral colonies.
Are anemones considered corals?
Technically, no. Corals and anemones are two different types of marine invertebrates. However, they do share some similarities, such as their polyp-shaped bodies and their reliance on water for survival.
What are considered soft corals?
There are many different types of corals, but soft corals are a category of coral that does not have a hard skeleton. Instead, they have a soft, rubbery body with a central axis made up of small calcareous spicules. Soft corals are often brightly coloured and can be very beautiful. Some common soft corals include sea pens, gorgonians, and zoanthids.
Photo by QUI NGUYEN on Unsplash
