The Coolidge examiner., 1934-11-09
Among the Living Polyps.

growing coral
Among the Living Polyps
In the mellow light 81 the more
projected areas. their serTied com.
mnnltles expand with outreachlnE
feathery ;cntacies surrounding their
miniature mouth silts -- verlsnble
petals of animal flowers. I'm patches
Of stronger sunlight. whole pha.
lanxes are fatlened 10 a nerc in.
yestment of the underlying hard
parts with thin gossamcr llms %
living tissue, often embossed with
Close set henispheres. marking the
location of the contracted poiyps
TIE tapevinx. iawny branches OF the
stnghorns are erow dea with star.
like living forms. while the waylne
gorEcnlans. rising toward the Sunlli
water surface In moving forrest
growths ~ vertical hranchieis
show each slender subdlvisloe
limned as with = halo Of translu
cent white or golden polyps
These myrlads OF tiny creatures
are the architects ard builders 81
the coral limestone structure. a.
vel as the horny supporting sub.
stance forming the flexible sor
gonlan skeleton" They. In part
nerShip with calcareous sea plants,
shell bearing mollucks. and progozoa.
are largely responsible for the
amazing submerged limestone bar.
rIers 50 perilous 10 uaYisators Of
tropic seas.
Many varying species of coral are
associated 10 form the community
OF the living reef. what il the Sc
cret of their marvellous power 10
multiply their kind. the technique
by which they construct their ram.
parts. and the mysterious source o.
their building maierialsf
over here. on this submerged
ledge, where the sunlight dances
through the fiickerlng waves. a beau.
tlful lettuce coral expands its elias
tered polyrs Ike a nosegay Of green
and lavender blossoms. A half
dozen polyps. with partially united
bodies. each an inch or more In d.
ameier. compose the colony. and
display their mottIed green and
brown shafts. crowned with flower
like disks Of lavender and gray
fiecked with white.
Closeup Of the Cluster.
The diver draws nearer and. look
Ing through the windows OF his div.
ing helmet. examines the cluster
more closely. Each individual is a
cylindrical sac crowned with a
circular disk. In the center OF which
In an oval mouth slit. A clrclet OF
about forty eight slender. petalnke
tentaeles radlate from the edge OF
the disk and contributes 10 the flow.
eriike appearance OF the creature.
Some OF the polyps are almost
separated from their fellows, while
the others are sim more or less
united. II Is obvious that a proc
ess OF division Is going on. the mum
Der OF individuals increasing by
splitting or budding from each 9TH
er. As one watches. a small ma
rine worm wrlggles out from a crev-
ice and starts TO crawl with rhyth.
mic undnlations over the coral
4 dozen tentacles bend over
from the margin OF the first polyp IL
touches and seize hold OF IL. II
struggles for an instant then be-
comes limp. Other tentacles reach
over and grasp 1t, first from one
polyp, then another Neighboring
mouths protrude their oval lips and
start to engus 1t. pulling In oppo-
site directions until the poor crea-
ture's body Is torn apart and the
fragments are swallowed by the con-
tending mouths.
The tentacles OF coral polyps are
equipped with batteries OF minute
sting cells, which. when touched,
eject tiny threads like so many las
SOS. armed with poison darts az
their extremities. These penetrate
the prey. paralyzing II. and leave
IL to the tender mercies OF the hun
CRY mouths with which 1t is imme
dlately surrounded.