CORALS

California has only a few species of "true" corals. The pink and purple colonies of California hydrocorals that are found on reefs and walls of Monterey Bay are hydrozoan corals, not anthozoan "true" corals that are found in the tropics and Southern California waters. While the difference may be small to some, the hydrozoans and anthozoans differ greatly both in their life cycles and in their anatomy. Hydrozoans have a medusoid (jellyfish) stage in their life cycle, something which is absent in anthozoans. The hydrozoan body cavity also lacks septa (dividing walls or membranes) which is present in anthozoan polyps. Colonies of California hydrocoarals have separate sexes, with larvae escaping from their mothers in late October or November to establish new colonies. Unable to attach to a stable surface and out-competed for space, few new colonies survive the first year. For those that do survive growth is slow, with larger colonies being up to 100 years old. Hydrocorals are also home to worms that establish themselves by boring holes in the hydrocoral's skeleton. Tiny barnacles also make their home there. Feeding polyps - found deep within the colony's pores, have 4 tiny tentacles that surround the mouth. The tiny tentacles seen on the skeletal surface are from the nonfeeding polyps which protect the colony with nematocysts (stinging cells) and capture food.

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