Page 193 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles

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