Scleractinians
Scleractinian/Stony Corals
Stony Corals are also known as Hard Corals. They are considered the reef builders of the ecosystem because of the calcium carbonate skeleton they secrete, which distinguishes them from soft corals. We will discuss the classification, evolutionary history, skeleton and colony formation, behavior and environment of stony corals, and then discuss some particular examples common to St. John and the US Virgin Islands.
Classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Stony Corals belong to the animal kingdom, which include eukaryotic multicellular organisms that i) form from blastula embryos ii) are loosely mobile and iii) gain nutrients through ingesting food.[1]
Phylum: Cnidaria
Members of the phylum Cnidaria share common characteristics including i) a body open to the external environment ii) radial or biradial symmetry iii) a diploblast structure and iv) nematocysts. Intrinsic nematocysts are capsules of specialized cells that will uncoil and extend rapidly when stimulated, usually to either sting as a form of defense or to capture food. Other organisms other than stony corals that are classified as Cnidaria include jellyfish, sea anenomes, portuguese man of war, hydroids and freshwater hydra. [2] This means that, despite popular belief, stony corals are more closely related to jellyfish than sponges.
Class:Anthozoa[3]
Evolutionary History
Skeleton and Colony Formation
Behavior
Reproduction
- Sexual: allows for spread of coral to new places
- Asexual: allows for growth of corals
- Budding
- Splitting
Feeding
Environment
- Stony Corals do well in tropical and subtropical areas which have warm and clear water
- Stony Corals have also been found in deep, dark water that is up to 6,500 feet deep
Examples
Grooved Brain Coral
Elkhorn Coral
Blushing Star Coral
Artichoke Coral
Orange Cup Coral
Fragile Saucer Coral
Class Photos from the US/British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean
Notes
- ↑ Schwartz, Dr. Karlene V. "Animal Kingdom." AccessScience. McGraw-Hill Education, 2014. Web. 14 April 2014. http://www.accessscience.com/content/animal-kingdom/035700
- ↑ Fautin, Dr. Daphne G. and Stevens, Dr. Calvin H. "Cnidaria" AccessScience. McGraw-Hill Education, 2014. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. http://www.accessscience.com/content/cnidaria/145900
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Atoda, Dr. Kenji and Pandolfi, Dr. John M. “Scleractinia.” AccessScience. McGraw-Hill Education, 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. http://www.accessscience.com/content/scleractinia/607500
- ↑ MarineBio Conservation Society. (n.d.). Coral Reefs. Web. http://marinebio.org/oceans/coral-reefs.asp
- MarineBio Conservation Society. (n.d.). Coral Reefs. Web. http://marinebio.org/oceans/coral-reefs.asp
- Stanley, G. D. (1996). Paleobiology and biology of corals. Columbus, OH: Paleontological Society.
- Dubinsky, Z., & Stambler, N. (Eds.). (2011). Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition. London: Springer.
- National Ocean Service. (March 25,2008). Corals: How Do Corals Grow? What Forms Do They Take?. Web. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/corals/coral03_growth.html
- Sheppard, C. R., Davy, S. K., & Pilling, G. M. (2009). The Main Reef Builders and Space Occupiers. The Biology of Coral Reefs. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198566359.001.0001