Animals in the Ocean & Coral Reef

Coral

One of the most astonishing things to do on a vacation is to explore one of the many coral reefs that exist around the world. Coral are actually little polyps less than a centimeter high and they are very closely related to sea anemones. When you see a coral reef that looks more like a rock than any kind of animal you are witnessing the growth of a protective casing that builds around them. To see the really impressive coral reefs your best bet is a tropical vacation.

Starfish

Coral reefs have natural enemies besides man and his pollution. One of the creatures of the sea that a coral reef does not want to see is a plain old starfish. Especially among the coral of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, starfish can destroy dozens of feet of coral reef in a year by feasting on the polyps. Starfish are constructed of a soft body with flexible tube-like feet ending in suckers. The suckers are used for both walking and feeding.

Sea Anemones

Those relatives of coral known as sea anemones make up the largest group of cnidarians. There exist at least 6,000 known species of anemone, but most of these are, in fact, coral. If you come across a sea anemone while diving, take some time to examine closely because you may actually be interacting with a creature that was born before you grandparents as some have been known to live longer than 70 years.

Clownfish

One of the fish most closely associated with coral reefs is that made popular by the movie Finding Nemo. You may remember that Nemo and his dad called a sea anemone home and that was not just Disney propaganda. In fact, a clownfish is also known as an anemone fish. These brightly colored orange and white fish actually have developed a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones to the point where they can freely interact within the anemone's tentacles without fear of reprisal.