Soft Coral
by Peter Scoones
Title
Soft Coral
Artist
Peter Scoones
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Soft coral (Dendronepthya sp.) seen against the glow of the Sun at the water's surface. Fish are seen circling overhead and a brittlestar (yellow, lower centre, subclass Ophiuroidea) is seen on the coral. The orange fronds seen here are the tiny tentacles of the individual coral organisms. These tentacles filter plankton from the water and pass them to the organism's mouth. This is a soft coral, which differs from a hard coral in that the coral organisms do not produce a calcium-rich rocky protective layer. Coral reefs form the basis of extensive and diverse marine ecosystems, providing shelter and food for a vast array of life. Photographed in the Red Sea.
Uploaded
May 2nd, 2013
Statistics
Viewed 263 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/24/2024 at 6:49 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments
There are no comments for Soft Coral. Click here to post the first comment.