This formerly exterior skin continues to secrete carbonate and forms radial stony partitions called septa, which project outward from the walls of the cup towards the columnella. Since the coral cup grows with the polyp, it may eventually become twisted and convoluted to form brain coral. Generally the polyp grows long and tubular and the polyp may then sprout daughter polyps. When this occurs the cup splits into two and sections of the chamber sometimes get cut off and as a result add to the rock of the reef. Miscellaneous info about Coral Diet Corals are thought to consume crustaceans mostly, and some species will eat small fish.
Corals use tentacles to ensnare their food.
Each tentacle has numerous nematocysts, with which to sting and paralyze its prey. Survival All reef forming coral have within their tissue zooxanthellae, but more specifically blue green algae. These algae oxygenate the tissue of the coral to allow them to breathe. The co2 given of by the coral feeds the algae in a symbiotic relationship. This page last updated on April 26, 1999.