Mouth opening of Balanophyllia sp., Orange cup coral. Close up taken in the Indian Ocean. The mouth opening is closed.
This is the mouth opening of a filtrating Orange cup coral. They genus is found throughout the world's oceans. This specimen was photographed in tropical waters, were it can be found to a depth of about 10m. At night the giant polyp opens it mouth and starts filtrating the water for small plankton to feed on. As the plankton touches the tentacles it is paralyzed with poison that is stored inside small capsules in the skin of the polyp and then transported into the stomach. There is only one body opening and left-over food exits the same way it entered the stomach tube. The coloration of the coral derives from pigments in its tissue and symbiotic single cell algae that live in symbiosis in the inner skin layer of the animal and provide it with sugar and oxygen derived from photosynthesis. Reproduction takes place in accordance with certain moon phases where the polyp releases sperms and eggs into the is called external fertilization and larvae are distributed through currents. Once the planula larvae found a place to settle, a new polyp can grow.
Size: 5639px × 3687px
Location: Indian Ocean
Photo credit: © Malcolm Ross / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: anemone, animalia, anthozoa, balanophyllia, black, brown, cnidaria, cnidarian, colour, coral, cup, dendrophylliidae, depth, diving, extremity, filtrating, hexacorallia, marine, mouth, ocean, orange, red, reef, scleractinia, sea, slit, stinger, stinging, symbiosis, tentacle, toxic, tropical, underwater, warm
