presenting the general corals classification found along the the kenya coast to university student

1. Corals of Kenya Coast
Josphat Nguu
and
David OburaThis guide to the coral of Kenya coast gives general biology and
taxonomy for typical species and growth forms found in the region
Produced by:
CORDIO East Africa, P.O.BOX 10135-80101, Mombasa, Kenya)
www.cordioea.org;
April 2015

2. contents
• Coral reef
• Corals
• Growth forms

3. Coral reef
Coral reefs are
diverse underwater
ecosystems built by
colonies of tiny
animals found in
marine waters
www.theecologist.org

4. corals
• corals are the
organisms on the coral
reef
• Single coral animal is
called a polyp.
www.kidsdiscover.com

5. polyp
• A polyp is soft-bodied
and lives inside a hard
cup-shaped, skeleton,
called a corallite.
• The corallite is made of
calcium carbonate.
• Calcium ions are taken
from the surrounding
water by the polyp,
undergo transformation
in the polyp and later
secreted as calcium
carbonate structures.
• Most polyps are small
and live together in
colonies.
www.icran.org

6. Polyp anatomy
•Ingestion and expulsion are
through a slit-like mouth.
•They have a pharynx which leads
into the body cavity,
in the body, pharynx divide into
mesenteries.
•These organs are used in digestion,
excretion and are the site where
gonads develop.
• Tentacles are found around the
mouth, arranged in one or more
rings.
•Are usually retractable. Tentacles
contain stinging cells
(nematocysts), used to detect and
seize food particles
www.enchantedlearning.com

7. Coral growth
forms
Although the corals are simple
animals their skeletons are often
complex, and it is the morphology
of the skeleton that taxonomists
have used to identify coral species.
Massive corals
Branching corals
Encrusting corals
Brain corals
Foliose corals
Plating corals
Free living corals
fijibutterflyfishcount.com

8. Branching
coral
Branching corals are
characterized by having
numerous branches and
belong to the family
Acroporidae.

9. Brain corals
Brain coral is a common
name given to corals in
the family Faviidae, so
called due to their
generally spheroid shape
and grooved surface
which resembles a brain.

10. Encrusting
corals
Encrusting corals are
characterized by low
spreading growth forms
that usually adhere to
hard rocky surfaces

11. Massive corals
• Massive corals are
characteristically ball-
or boulder-shaped and
relatively slow-growing.
• They have very stable
profiles, massive corals
are seldom damaged by
strong wave action
unless they are
dislodged from their
holdfasts.

12. FOLIOSE
CORALS
Foliose corals have
broad plate-like
portions rising in
whorl-like patterns
like petals of a flower

13. PLATING
CORALS
Members in this
group are usually thin
corals that form leafy,
plate-like colonies.
The design of these
corals enable them to
trap sufficient
amount of light.