Introduction to Coral Anatomy

Question 1

What is a plocoid coral arrangement?

Answer 1

A coral colony where each corallite is separated by its own wall, giving them a spaced, individual appearance.

Question 2

What is a thamnasteroid coral arrangement?

Answer 2

A coral colony where corallites share walls, and the boundaries between them are indistinct, creating a smooth, flower-like surface.

Question 3

What is a phaceloid coral arrangement?

Answer 3

A colony with tubular corallites that are closely grouped but remain separated by distinct walls and rise above the common base.

Question 4

What is a meandroid coral arrangement?

Answer 4

A colony with elongated corallites arranged in valleys separated by ridges, forming maze-like patterns.

Question 5

What is a cerioid coral arrangement?

Answer 5

A colony where corallites are tightly packed and share walls, but the individual centers are still distinguishable.

Question 6

What is a flabelloid coral arrangement?

Answer 6

A colony where corallites are aligned side by side in a fan-shaped or blade-like formation, without shared walls between adjacent corallites.

Question 7

What is a hydnophoroid coral arrangement?

Answer 7

A colony characterized by conical projections (monticules) where multiple corallites form on raised skeletal mounds, often sharing tissue.

Question 8

What external skeletal wall surrounds and supports the individual coral polyp?

Answer 8

Theca

Question 9

What calcareous structure forms the base of a coral polyp and anchors it to the substrate?

Answer 9

Basal Plate

Question 10

What is the entire skeletal cup in which a single polyp sits called?

Answer 10

Corallite

Question 11

What are the radial, blade-like skeletal structures that increase surface area for polyp support and digestion?

Answer 11

Septa

Question 12

What are the ridges on the outer surface of the coral skeleton that align with internal septa?

Answer 12

Costae

Question 13

What is the common skeletal tissue found between corallites in a colonial coral?

Answer 13

Coenosteum

Question 14

What is the central rod or pillar-like skeletal structure located in the middle of a corallite?

Answer 14

Columnella

Question 15

What is the thickened skeletal structure at the inner edge of some septa that can form a crown around the columnella?

Answer 15

Paliform Lobe

Question 16

Name the colony formation:

Answer 16

Phaceloid

Question 17

Name the colony formation:

Answer 17

Meandroid

Question 18

Name the colony formation:

Answer 18

Flabelloid

Question 19

Name the colony formation:

Answer 19

Solitary Attached

Question 20

Name the colony formation:

Answer 20

Fungoid

Question 21

Name the colony formation:

Answer 21

Thamnasteroid

Question 22

Name the colony formation:

Answer 22

Hydnophoroid

Question 23

Name the colony formation:

Answer 23

Plocoid

Question 24

Name the colony formation:

Answer 24

Cerioid

Question 25

Describe the branching coral growth form:

Answer 25

They grow in a dendritic form with tapered, symmetrical branches and regular splitting

Question 26

Describe the corymbose coral growth form:

Answer 26

They grow in a bush-like form, with dense and irregular branches

Question 27

Describe the digitate coral growth form:

Answer 27

They grow in a finger-like shape, in vertical, tapered and symmetrical branches which do not split

Question 28

Describe the encrusting coral growth form:

Answer 28

They grow in thin, plate-like forms along the existing substrate.

Question 29

Describe the foliose coral growth form:

Answer 29

They grow in plate-like form shaped like flowers, lettuce or other plants in 3D shape

Question 30

Describe the laminar coral growth form:

Answer 30

They grow horizontally, like shelves, in a thin plate-like fashion

Question 31

Describe the massive coral growth form:

Answer 31

They grow in a spheric or hemispherical shape, and are very robust but slow-growing

Question 32

Describe the sub-massive coral growth form:

Answer 32

They are dense and slow-growing but lack the rounded shape of massive corals

Question 33

Describe the tabular coral growth form:

Answer 33

They grow horizontally out over the sea floor from a central anchoring point, instead of growing vertically

Question 34

Describe the solitary coral growth form:

Answer 34

They are attached or non-attached corals that are frequently just one polyp

Question 35

Name the following growth form:

Answer 35

Foliose

Question 36

Name the following growth form:

Answer 36

Branching

Question 37

Name the following growth form:

Answer 37

Corymbose

Question 38

Name the following growth form:

Answer 38

Digitate

Question 39

Name the following growth form:

Answer 39

Encrusting

Question 40

Name the following growth form:

Answer 40

Massive

Question 41

Name the following growth form:

Answer 41

Sub-Massive

Question 42

Name the following growth form:

Answer 42

Tabular

Question 43

Name the following growth form:

Answer 43

Laminar

Question 44

Name the following growth form:

Answer 44

Solitary