Brain
coral is a stony coral with a skeleton of calcium carbonate made from
minerals absorbed from the ocean water. Its name comes from its many
ridges and grooves that cause it to appear similar to the human brain.
The ridges are in pairs with a gap in between. Animals will live in
the crevices between the ridges. The brain coral's polyps have tiny
tentacles that hide in the sides of the ridges when they are not capturing
food. The polyps will push away sand after hurricanes pass through.
Brain coral grows slowly, but is strong enough to withstand storms that
might break other coral. Plankton and products of photosynthesis from
zooxanthellae make up the diet of brain coral. It is often found in
the Caribbean, from Florida to the Bahamas. It can be brown, pink, or
green.