Left: Acropora cytherea is one of the major corals responsible for building the immense calcium carbonate substructure that supports the thin living skin of a reef. Right: Tightly packed branches and nariform (nose-shaped) corallites of Acropora nasuta resemble floral clusters.
Corals
Images courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Left: Acropora cytherea is one of the major corals responsible for building the immense calcium carbonate substructure that supports the thin living skin of a reef. Right: Tightly packed branches and nariform (nose-shaped) corallites of Acropora nasuta resemble floral clusters. Download larger version (jpg, 104 KB).
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