BIO 475 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Corallite, Coenosteum, Gastrodermis
Coral Biology 9/12
● Corallite is cup where polpy sits
● Basic skeletal elements
○ Base of coralite is called the coenosteum
○ Round part, is called the wall
○ Inside of the corallite wall are rays called septa
○ On the outside of the wall are called costae
■ Together it's called septo-costae
○ Synapticulae: horizontal rods forming lattice between septo-costae
○ Epitheca: thin, non-porous layer outside corallite wall
● Septa cycles and pourtales plan
○ Follow pattern of length
● Coenosteum
○ Porous skeletal material situated between the costae of corallites or between one
corallite and the next
● Sterome
○ Solid sheet which forms the inner lining of the corallite wall
● Dissepiments
○ Thin,blister-like layers of skeleton which form between the corallites
● Epitheca
○ Initially: basal place deposited by planula on settlement
Tissues
● Ectodermis
● Gastrodermis
● Mesoglea
● Nematocysts battery
● ^ Tip of Tentacle^
● Oral disc
● Mouth
● Coelenteron
● Gonads
● Mesenteries
● Mesenteric filaments
Zooxanthellae; in gastrodermis
● Dinoflagellates
● Golden/brown color
Coral growth
● Extra Tentacular budding ;outside corallite
● Intratentacular budding ; inside corallite
Colony Formation
● Plocoid: corallites have their own walls
● Meandroid: corallites form valleys and share walls
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