However, some coral species are very good at sorting through fine sediments that fall on their surfaces, and they can pick out the most nutritious particles. Interesting facts about corals Coral tentacles are armed with tiny, poisonous stinging cells, called nematocysts. The nematocysts discharge into potentail prey upon contact and help to imobilize and hold prey until transfer into the coral mouth. The nematocyst types and abundances differ amoung coral species. Possibly, these differences help explain why some corals are better zooplankton feeders than others.
Corals feed on zooplankton, primarily at night.
We are interested in evaluating how much zooplankton corals consume. These are some of the most common zooplankton types on reefs. They all exhibit marked behavioral differences which either increase or decrease their susceptibilty to capture after an encounter by corals. Some corals harbor small algae cells in their tissues. These algae cells are able to use sunlight to photosynthesize, similar to terrestrial plants.