-
Mushroom Coral
Photograph by Wolcott Henry
Reminiscent of the underside of a mushroom cap, this coral is common in the western Pacific Ocean. Mushroom coral (Fungia scutaria) is formed from a single polyp, instead of a colony of polyps.
-
Star Coral
Photograph by Heather Perry
Star coral (Montastrea cavernosa) polyps open in search of food near Little Cayman Island.
-
Coral Close View
Photograph by Tim Laman
Coral reefs teem with life, covering less than one percent of the ocean floor, but supporting about 25 percent of all marine creatures. Indonesia is home to the highest marine diversity on Earth, including this coral photographed near the Tukangbesi archipelago in Indonesia.
-
Camouflage
Photograph by Tim Laman
A majid crab (Xenocarcinus depressus) disappears among the vivid red of gorgonian coral in Palau.
-
Coral Tentacles
Photograph by Wolcott Henry
Though corals get most of their food from the byproducts of zooxanthellae algae's photosynthesis, they also have barbed, venomous tentacles they can stick out, usually at night, to grab zooplankton and even small fish.
-
Rainbow of Soft Corals
Photograph by Wolcott Henry
A palette of soft corals grows along a reef near Fiji. Unlike hard corals, soft corals have no rigid outer skeletons—the building blocks of coral reefs.
-
Sea Fan Close-Up
Photograph by Heather Perry
Similar to all corals, sea fans, such as this one in the Turks and Caicos Islands, are made up of tiny animals called polyps. When stressed by such things as temperature change or pollution, coral polyps will evict their colorful algae boarders, which can lead to coral bleaching and death.
-
Branching Coral
Photograph by Heather Perry, National Geographic
Rigid coral branches present the illusion of fluid movement in a turquoise sea near the Turks and Caicos Islands.
-
Coral Topography
Photograph by Paul Sutherland
A close-up reveals the subtle valleys and ridges of a single coral off of the coast of Mexico.
-
Soft Coral
Photograph by Wolcott Henry
Orange pulpy soft coral vacillates in the western Pacific Ocean. Both hard and soft corals have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae algae, which live in coral and give it its color.
Related Galleries
Popular in Photography
Advertisement
-
Steady Hands and Fins
Photographer David Doubilet photographs in the depths of the southwest Pacific, New Zealand, and more.
-
Survival Guide: Dodging Locusts
Swarm behaviorist Iain Couzin has a toxic reaction to a locust at the same time his team runs out of food.
Special Offers
-
National Geographic
Subscribe to National Geographic magazine and save. Print and digital editions available.
