Title: Marine Inverts
Species #: 15
Common Name: Grooved Brain Coral Scientific Name: Diploria labyrinthiformis Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Anthozoa
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Faviidae Geography / Habitat: This coral grows in the Caribbean, Bahamas, southern Florida, and Bermuda. This species tends to grow on loose substrates of the ocean floor. With a single-celled symbiotic algae within its cells, grooved brain coral needs to be at depths where light can penetrate the water. As a result, this species has a depth limit of approximately 50 meters. Life Strategy: Grooved brain coral is hermaphroditic, with a 10-11 month period for gonad (sex organ) development. Spawning season is from late May to late June and likely begins as a result of environmental cues such as high air temperature, low number of solar hours per month, low wind velocity, and initiation of the rainy season. Food / Feed Strategy: This coral depends primarily on suspension feeding of small marine invertebrates and zooxanthellate algae. The symbiotic algae photosynthesize and supply the coral with nutrients and energy for calcification and growth.
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Body Form or Style: n/a Swim / Locomotion Style: n/a Mouth Position: n/a
Citation: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Diploria_labyrinthiformis.html