|
|
The pink Coral Sea fan is a member of the
Plexauridae family, the Octocorallia class from the Gorgonacia
order. Thousands of polyps (which are tiny and identical) make
every pink Coral Sea fan in part. The polyps` tentacles have
stinging cells that are much smaller than the sea anemones`
polyps. With these tentacles the pink coral sea fan paralyses
the prey that passes by him and put the prey into the mouth that
is located in the every polyp centre. The diet is made from
floating food (the zooplankton) which is captured from the water
column. The capture of the food from the water column is
specific to the tropical gorgonian coral species. The colonies
of pink coral sea fan are oriented to the water's right angles,
their biggest part of the surface area facing the current. This
is a thing that is met at numerous other species of gorgonian.
The colonies have rich branches which are covered with warty
protuberances; from these protuberances emerge the small polyps.
A holdfast fixes the colonies to the substrate and during the
adult phase, they never move. The holdfast is similar to the one
of the kelp plants. The pink Coral Sea fan colonies can reach
even 100 centimeters and may have more than 50 years old. The
growth of the pink coral sea fan is of 10 millimeters on year,
depending of the level food, the environmental variables that
exist between the sites (such as the currents, the water depths
and the temperature) and the colony’s age. The color of the pink
Coral Sea fan is, as his name says, pink but it also can be
white to deep pink. The pink coral sea fan is heterotreophs; to
respire, he uses oxygen mixed with the digestion of the
zooplankton. |
|
