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Lacy lettuce-leaf coral

Leptoseris cailleti

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Fun Facts

Lacy lettuce-leaf corals can live up to 131 feet (40 meters) deep.

Species Type:

Corals, Invertebrates

Common Name(s):

Lacy lettuce-leaf coral

Size:

Lacy lettuce-leaf coral can grow up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) across.

Diet:

Using their polyps, lacy lettuce-leaf corals absorb 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:

In the West-Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, lacy lettuce-leaf corals can be found in caves, rocky walls, deep coral slopes and crevices.

Details:

Lacy lettuce-leaf corals strongly resemble a head of lettuce with wavy, plate-like extensions growing from a single base. They can range in color from sandy brown to green and pink.