What Does a Brain Coral Eat?

Although it looks like a mossy, brain-shaped rock, a brain coral is actually colony of very small animals in the same class as jellyfish. These creatures reproduce by releasing eggs and sperm into water. The offspring hatch, attach themselves to a spot and build hard shells around themselves.

  1. Plankton

    • Corals of all varieties eat plankton, tiny organisms that form the base of the food chain in the ocean. Adult coral feed nocturnally by extending their tentacles outward from their home in the colony and drawing in plankton.

    Algae Symbiosis

    • Coral also attain nourishment via sunlight, but they do not engage in photosynthesis. Brain coral have a symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, a form of algae, which absorb sunlight and provide the coral with photosynthesized sugar; the coral, in turn, gives off carbon dioxide and other wastes that benefit the algae. It is a mutually beneficial relationship.

    Variant Colors

    • A coral's diet of plankton is usually not responsible for its variety of colors. In many cases, the symbiotic algae and the process of photosynthesis help a brain coral develop into different shades. Whitening or bleaching occurs when the algae and coral part ways. However, the coral tend to grow towards sunlight, in an effort to assist the zooxanthellae.