Corals (Chapter 11)

Question 1

Cnidaria

Answer 1

• represented by corals (Anthozoa), jelly fish (Scyphozoa), & hydra (Hydrozoa)
• “nettle-bearers” - stinging cells/ nematocysts surrounding mouth
• multicellular with cells organized into few tissue types in radial plan
• diploblastic: endo, ecto, also with mesoglea
• single body cavity/ enteron

Question 2

Coral

Answer 2

• most important taxon class for reef buidling
• source of carbonate sedimentary rocks, oil & limestone reservoirs
• most seen class

Question 3

Rugosa

Answer 3

• calcite corals with 6 or 4 prosepta
• typically solitary & sometimes colonial
• marine
• Ordovician to Permian

Question 4

Tabulate

Answer 4

• colonial calcite corals
• weak or absent septa
• well-developed tabulae
• marine
• Ordovician to Permian - Paleozoic index fossil

Question 5

Scleractina

Answer 5

aragonite corals with 6 prosepta & no tabulae

marine

solitary or colonial

• Mesozoic - old looking/ rock-like; mineralized & reworked
• Cenozoic - fresh looking

Question 6

Discoid coral

Answer 6

solitary coral with large flat base & flat height

e.g. Mircocyclus species

Question 7

Trochoid coral

Answer 7

• horn-like, radial symmetry
• width grows at greater rate than height
• e.g. Heliophyllym halli, Devonian rugose

Question 8

Ceratoid coral

Answer 8

• horn-like, radial symmetry
• isometric growth

Question 9

Cylindrical coral

Answer 9

tube-like with single direction growth

adult diameter remains constant

Question 10

Scolecoid coral

Answer 10

undulating, tube-like growth in multiple directions

adult diameter remains constant