Page 343 - Hawaii: Diving, Surfing, Pearl Harbor, Volcanoes and More

eproduction in fire corals is more complex break the branches of fire corals when diving for of the fire coral patches. This classic Darwinian
Rthan in other reef-building corals. The polyps leisure, or when collecting fish for the aquarium selected adaptive natural selection has resulted
reproduce asexually, producing jellyfish-like me- trade. For instance, the yellowtail damself- in sea critters taken on the color scheme of
dusae, which are released into the water from ish tends to dwell close to the branching fire the fire coral patch itself. A classic example is a
special cup-like structures known as ampullae. coral colonies, and retreats into its branches species of file fish that has developed a color
The medusae contain the reproductive organs when threatened. In Brazil, fire coral colonies scheme that matches the color of the fire coral
that release eggs and sperm into the water. Fer- are extensively damaged when harvesting the itself near Klein Bonaire. Fire coral comes in a
tilized eggs develop into free-swimming larvae yellowtail damselfish, as the corals are often range of colors including red, yellow, brown,
that will eventually settle on the substrate and deliberately smashed and fishes hiding amongst green, purple, white and almost every color of
form new colonies. Fire corals can also repro- the branches are ‘shaken out’ into plastic bags. the rainbow.
duce asexually by fragmentation.
he unique colorization of fire corals and sting from first coral can be painful. Blisters
ost fire coral species have brittle skeletons Tthe large patches they can form becomes A form and the skin peals away. The skin will
Mthat can easily be broken, for example, home to many sea critters than have taken on scab over and then heal. The process can take
during storms, or by divers. Divers can easily adaptive colors that mix and match the color up to two weeks.