Species Type:
Corals, Invertebrates
Common Name(s):
Pineapple starlet coral
Size:
Pineapple starlet coral can grow up to 17 inches (40 centimeters) in diameter.
Diet:
Using the stinging cells in its tentacles, pineapple starlet coral will catch and eat smaller marine organisms drifting by. Coral also have a special algae—called zooxanthellae– in their tissues that photosynthesize the sun's rays into energy/food.
Range & Habitat:
Found in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, pineapple starlet coral inhabits shallow outer reefs and lagoons. They commonly make up the base and back of coral reef patches.
Details:
Resembling pineapple, pineapple starlet coral is yellow and covered entirely with corallites— round hardened structures surrounding each polyp. This coral grows into large round formations.