Lobe Coral
Porites sp.
Family: Poritidae
Locality: Indo-Pacific
Built over decades by thousands of tiny coral polyps, this remarkable skeleton is the lasting architecture of a once-living colony. Each tiny pore marks the home of an individual polyp. By day, the polyps remain safely tucked inside these chambers. After dark, they emerge, unfurling delicate tentacles into the water to capture drifting plankton.
In life, the polyps can glow in brilliant shades of purple, transforming this white skeleton into a vibrant living reef. As each generation of polyps built upon the limestone skeleton beneath them, they slowly created the smooth, cloud-like lobes that give this coral its name.
Lobe Coral
Porites sp.
Family: Poritidae
Locality: Indo-Pacific
Built over decades by thousands of tiny coral polyps, this remarkable skeleton is the lasting architecture of a once-living colony. Each tiny pore marks the home of an individual polyp. By day, the polyps remain safely tucked inside these chambers. After dark, they emerge, unfurling delicate tentacles into the water to capture drifting plankton.
In life, the polyps can glow in brilliant shades of purple, transforming this white skeleton into a vibrant living reef. As each generation of polyps built upon the limestone skeleton beneath them, they slowly created the smooth, cloud-like lobes that give this coral its name.
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