What is Coral?
Coral refers to a group of animals related to sea anemones and jellyfish. All animals in this large group (called Cnidarians “ni-Dairy-enz”) have tentacles with stinging cells called nematocysts “ne-Mat-oh-sists.” All corals have the same basic body structure. Tentacles containing stinging cells surround a central body cavity. Corals come in two different types: Hexacorals, which are animals with six tentacles or multiples of six, (i.e. 6, 12, 18, 24) and Octocorals, which are animals that always have eight tentacles. The body cavity, or coelom, functions as a digestion and reproduction area, and its outer margin secretes the skeleton that partially encases the animal. Coral tentacles capture food (plankton) and sweep sediment from the surface of the animal.
