Soft corals: what are, characteristics, types and food

Soft corals are those corals that do not produce a calcium carbonate skeleton. They are also known as Ahermatipic corals. These are some of its main characteristics:

• They belong to the Octocoralallia subclass, and most of the Alcyonacea order, although the Pennatulacea order is also included. Since both orders are under the Octocoralia subclass is often called Octocoral To those who are soft, although it is not completely correct because the subclass also includes the Helioporacea order that is rigid. The only representative of Helioporáceos is the blue coral Heliopara Coeruleawhich we mention because it is more related to soft corals than with stone.
• Despite not having the structure that supports stone corals, they do have equivalent structures for Support. These are small structures immersed in the fabric called Spiculeswhich are made of crystallized calcium carbonate in Calcita. In addition to giving them support, they serve as Defense against predators They may want to give them a bite.
• Its configuration is colonialwhere many polyps work with activities distributed to keep the set in operation. These polyps are particular because they have eight pinnate tentacles. They are from fleshy appearancebecause the polyps are inserted into a soft tissue. Here you can read about colonial associations: what are, types and examples.
• They are always found anchored to the substrate and lack their own movement.
• These corals They are not coral reef formers In itself, which is the firm structure formed by stone corals. However, They are part of the marine reefThey live in it, and play an indispensable role in the ecosystem hosting hundreds of different species. We encourage you to read about what a coral reef is.

The types of corals can be grouped by suborders, families, genres, or even other orders out of Alcyonacea that are close. There are several, but we present some of the most popular types.

Arborescent soft corals

Soft corals are typically in a branched form, with cluster polyps. There are a wide variety of colors, and forms several different families and species.

Leather corals

They are also arborescent, but with shorter and more undulating ramifications. All belong to the genre Sarcophyton.

CORALES HAND DE DEAD

They are lobed, with prolongations similar to fingers. They are formed by the genre Alcyoniumsuch as the hand of the Red Dead that is A. Glomeratumor the hand of common dead A. Digitatum.

Sea fans

These are considered gorgonias and may or may not be included in soft corals, and they have the peculiar ability to secrete gorgonine as a skeleton, which makes them corneal but flexible. As it is not calcium carbonate, it is not part of stone corals, and does not have the capacity to form coral reefs. They are identified because they have flat shape.

Here you can know the Gorgonia better: characteristics, habitat and food.

Sea whips

They are relatives of sea fans, and are very elongated, such as whips. They are reinforced with calcium, and can form dense communities similar to shrubs. All of those of the genre belong to them Ellisella.

Bamboo corals

They are called those of the Isididae family. They are typical of great marine depths, and have articulated ramifications reminiscent of bamboo stems.

Sea feathers

All types we have just reviewed belong to the Alcyonacea order, but these sea feathers are of the Pennatulacea order. Although they are from another order they are sometimes included in soft corals because they do not form a calcareous skeleton. They are characterized by having a central axis from which many secondary polyps start in branches. In this other article you can learn more from them sea feathers: characteristics, habitat and food.

Corals alternate between two types of food.

• The first one is the Heterotrophic feedthat is, it depends on external sources, and this is one of the reasons why he classifies as an animal and not as a plant. Each soft coral is covered by hundreds of polyps that have tentacles with which they form water currents, to thus attract small plankton particles towards the central mouth that is the center of the tentacles. All soft corals are based on this diet, but they can also have another.
• Most also have Symbiotic Association with Zooxante The. They provide them with metabolites from photosynthesis that the corals use for nutrition and, in return, these algae receive inorganic compound from the coral and a safe place to live. This symbiosis is the main source of energy for soft corals, and is more frequent in those species of shallow water where the sunlight reaches.

Now that you know soft corals better, we recommend you discover more about zooxantlas: what are, symbiosis, life cycle and function and what is symbiosis and examples,

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