What animal is responsible for building tropical reefs? What is the term for this behavior? What kind of symbiosis occurs within the tissues of these organisms?
· Coral animals are responsible for the building of reefs. Corals are the polyp varieties of the phylum cnidaria. They are radial symmetric and have stinging cells called cnidoblasts on their tentacles.
· These corals are said to be Hermatypic, meaning "mound building." They build up the reefs with their aragonite bodies which are enhanced with calcium carbonate. Hermatypic corals occur in warm tropical waters with normal or slightly high salinity.
· Hermatypic corals are also very dependent on light availability due to the symbiotic relationship with a dinoflagellate. These dinoflagellates are called zooxanthellae. They photosynthesize and absorb wastes while in their coral host. The coral provides a stable environment and the carbon dioxide and nutrients needed by the zooxanthellae. The zooxanthellae are able to share oxygen and carbohydrates with the coral.
You might also like to view...
During El Nino conditions hurricanes are less likely to come near Hawaii
a. true b. false
Prior to the Ice Age, the Great Lakes were nonexistent. Indicate whether the statement is true or false
The horizontal distance between two successive wave crests is:
Over the past 50 years, global life expectancy has
A) decreased by about 5 years primarily due to increases in viral infections. B) stayed about the same due to new diseases spread by global climate change. C) increased by about 5 years due to the development of many poor nations. D) increased by more than 20 years due to better health care and nutrition worldwide.