Coral Reefs
What do you already know about Coral Reefs?
What is a coral reef?
A coral reef is a beautiful type of habitat. They might look like rocks or plants but coral reefs are actually made up of tiny animals called coral polyps that live in groups and attach to a hard surface.Â
Coral Reefs are found in clear, warm, shallow water near the coast of countries, not deep down on the ocean floor. This is because they need sunlight and warmth to grow. They are mainly found in warm tropical oceans near the equator.Â
Many coral reefs have been formed over thousands of years. They take a very long time to grow, only growing by one to two centimetres a year.Â
Coral
There are thousands of different species of corals and they come in lots of different shapes, sizes and colours. They are very bright and colourful, although if they start to die they loose their colour and become white. Corals are either hard or soft.
A lot of corals form a hard shell or skeleton on the outside. These include branching corals that look like the branches of a tree, boulder corals that look like big rocks on the sea floor, pillar corals that grow up to look like sky scrappers and brain corals that look like a brain!Â
Other corals don’t have a hard exoskeleton and are soft corals. These often look like brightly coloured plants, for example sea fans have giant flat fans that wave gently in the water, sea whips look like the thin long leaves of a bush and sun coral look like a sun with the rays sticking out around the edge.
Sea Anemones
Sea anemones are also like coral polyps, and are living creatures. They look a bit like a plant though! They have lots of tentacles that circle the mouth. These tentacles can be all sorts of bright colours. Sea anemones use their tentacles to sting their prey, such as plankton and small fish. If a human touched their tentacles it would also sting us, which would hurt and maybe make you feel ill. Â
Sea anemones usually attach their body to a hard surface such as a rock, using a sticky kind of foot! Although some species can move about. They are related to jellyfish and are really quite similar.
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest coral reef in the world. It is in the Coral Sea, off the north east coast of Australia. It is over 1000 miles long and is so big that it can be seen all the way up in space! It has hundreds of different species of corals and thousands of other living creatures living amongst it.
The Great Barrier Reef is thought to be so amazing it is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, along with other natural wonders such as Mount Everest and the Grand Canyon.
What lives in a coral reef?
A coral reef is a habitat for many different types of creatures. In fact there are more types of creatures living around coral reefs than anywhere else in the oceans. One quarter of all sea creatures live in them!
Millions of fish find safety in the corals, such as Clownfish, Blue Tangs and Lionfish. Other small creatures also hide amongst the coral, such as starfish, sea snails and seahorses. Large, gentle creatures such as manta rays and sea turtles also call coral reefs home.
Crabs, lobsters, eels, cuttlefish and octopuses live in coral reefs, feeding on the other creatures that live there. Even sharks, whales and dolphins can also be found living around or visiting the coral reefs. It’s a great place for them to find prey to eat too!
A coral reef is a perfect habitat for so many different creatures. A lot of creatures that live amongst coral reefs use the different colours to camouflage themselves, either to stay safe from other animals or to hide as they hunt for their prey.Â
You can learn more about some of these creatures with Flash!
Octopuses use coral reefs to help camouflage themselves and can even change the colour of their skin to blend in.
Sea Turtles live for a long time and some can survive for over 50 years.
All clownfish are born boys!
Starfish eat the coral polyps.
Seahorses attach themselves to coral reefs using their tail. This helps them not to be carried away by the water.
Manta Ray are the largest species of ray fish.
Many species of shark visit or live around coral reefs. Reef sharks in particular are very common. They are smaller than many species of shark.
What we've learnt...
A coral reef is a beautiful habitat, home to many different types of sea creatures.
Coral Reefs are made up of living creatures called coral polyps and sea anemones.
Coral Reefs are found in warm tropical seas in shallow water close the the coast.
The biggest coral Reef is the Great Barrier Reef on the coast of Australia.
Test your knowledge...
Coral Reef Quiz
If you click the correct answer the box will turn green. If its the wrong answer it will turn red and then show you what the correct answer was. Make sure you read or listen to the questions carefully!
#1. What type of water do coral reefs form in?
Select all that apply:
#2. What are coral polyps?
#3. What is the biggest coral reef in the world called?
#4. How do Sea Anemones catch their prey?
#5. Where is the Great Barrier Reef?
Results
I really hope you have enjoyed learning all about coral reefs, with me Jet!
Question Time...
Why don't Clownfish get stung by Sea Anemones?
By Kayode
That’s a good question! Clownfish don’t get stung by sea anemones because they have a protective layer of mucus on their bodies and that stops the anemone’s tentacles from stinging them. Clownfish are totally immune to the anemones stings. This mucus also means the sea anemones don’t eat the clownfish either. Because of this clownfish actually use anemones to hide in and protect them from other predators.
Any other questions?
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