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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (March 2007) |
| Brain coral | ||||||||||||
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 Grooved brain coral, Diploria labyrinthiformis
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24 genera, the most common being:
 Wikispecies has information related to:
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Brain coral is a common name given to several genera of coral which are characterized by the spheroid shape of their colonies, and by the grooves and channels on their surface, which resemble the folds on the surface of the human brain. Brain corals are in the taxonomic family Faviidae, but not every genus in the family is brain-shaped.
Brain corals are found in warm-water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. They are part of the phylum Cnidaria, in a class called Anthozoa or "sea flowers." The life span of the largest brain corals is 200 years. Colonies can grow as large as 6 or more feet (1.8 m) high.
Brain corals use their tentacles to catch food during the day. At night, the brain corals use their tentacles for protection by wrapping them over the grooves on their surface.
Like other genera of corals, brain corals feed on small drifting animals and also receive nutrients provided by algae which live within their tissues.
Branching corals such as staghorn corals grow rapidly in order to gain new territory, but slow-growing brain corals rely on brawn instead. They hold their ground by being solid and strong enough to withstand storms that pound more delicate corals to rubble.
Coral reefs around the world are in danger. Silt (fine soil) smothers coral when it washes off the land from farm fields, roads and building sites. More towns and resorts near shore mean more sewage, oil and chemicals in the water.
