Species Type:
Corals, Invertebrates
Common Name(s):
Spiny flower coral
Size:
Spiny flower coral colonies can grow up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) across.
Diet:
Using its polyp tentacles, spiny flower coral catch and eat smaller marine organisms that drift by. They also have a special algae—called zooxanthellae– in their tissues that photosynthesize the sun's rays into energy/food.
Range & Habitat:
Along the coasts of the southern Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean sea and western Atlantic Ocean, spiny flower coral can be found in shallow coral colonies.
Details:
Spiny flower coral can grow in flat or dome-shaped groups. They can range in color from gray and blue to green or pink. Corallites in this species grow into irregular round clusters with a rough and bumpy texture.