Acanthastrea rotundoflora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acanthastrea rotundoflora |
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The Acanthastrea rotundoflora is a type of coral that lives in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. You can find it in places like the Red Sea, Australia, and the East China Sea. This coral is not very common, and its home, the coral reef, is facing many threats around the world.
About This Coral
Acanthastrea rotundoflora corals grow in two main ways. Some form big, solid shapes, while others spread out like a thin crust over rocks. Each coral animal, called a polyp, lives in its own little cup-shaped home called a corallite. These homes are usually spaced out. In smaller coral groups, there's often one main corallite in the middle that stands out. Inside each corallite, there are wall-like structures called septa that have long, pointy teeth. This coral often looks rusty-brown, dark brown, or green.
How It Lives
Acanthastrea rotundoflora is a special kind of coral because it has tiny, plant-like helpers living inside it. These helpers are called zooxanthellae, which are a type of dinoflagellate (a very small, single-celled organism). They have a symbiotic relationship with the coral, meaning they help each other.
These tiny zooxanthellae use photosynthesis, just like plants, to make their own food from sunlight. They share this food, like sugars and nutrients, with the coral. This can provide up to 90% of the coral's energy! For the rest of its food, the coral uses its tentacles to catch tiny floating creatures called plankton from the water.
Protecting This Coral
This coral lives in many different places and is somewhat common. It's also a bit tougher against coral bleaching than some other corals because it tends to live in deeper, cooler waters. We don't know exactly if its numbers are going up or down. However, corals everywhere are in danger from big problems like climate change.
These threats include:
- More powerful storms that can break coral reefs.
- Warmer ocean water, which can cause coral bleaching.
- Ocean acidification, where the ocean becomes more acidic, making it harder for corals to build their hard skeletons.
Because of these dangers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed Acanthastrea rotundoflora as a "near-threatened species". This means it could become endangered in the future if we don't protect it. All corals are also protected under CITES Appendix II, which helps control their trade around the world.
