What is this? Is it a plant? an animal? or a rock?
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Are they releasing eggs and spermatozoid? Yes
Are they doing photosytesis? Yes
Are they calcified? Yes
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So, what are they?
Coral is an animal which have symbiosis mutualism with algae called zooxantella, so they can do photosystes, and they secrected calcium carbonate.
They are so interesting in so many ways; so colourful and have all kind of shaped, could lived from very shallow water with exposed sunlight to the depth inside a cave, lived in colonies as well as solitary.
Next time you go on holiday, try to recognise this animal.