Black Corals

Black Corals

Why in news : Recently, researchers discovered five new species of black corals living as deep as 2500 feet below the surface in the Great Barrier Reef and coastal sea off the coast of Australia.

More facts about Black corals :

• Black corals can be found growing both in shallow water and down to depths of over 8000 metres.
• Some individual corals can live for over 4000 years.
• They are of many shapes from feathers, fans to straight as whips.

BLACK CORALS

• While shallow water corals rely on the photosynthesis for energy, while black corals are filler feeders and eat tiny zooplankton that are abundant in deep waters.
• They act as important habitats where and invertebrates feed and hide from predators.