Species Type:
Corals, Invertebrates
Common Name(s):
Green star polyp coral
Size:
Star polyps can form extensive sheets over hundreds of meters across.
Diet:
Using their polyps, star polyp filter organic compounds and small marine organisms from the water in their environment. They also have a special algae—called zooxanthellae– in their tissues that photosynthesize the sun's rays into energy/food.
Range & Habitat:
Star polyps exist in the Indo-Pacific in shallow, clear waters.
Details:
Star polyps are deep purple in color with long green polyp tentacles. They grow in the form of encrusting sheets.