Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Beautiful Open Brain Coral on the Ocean Floor

Images of gore that would make an axe murderer proud are not the sort of stuff you would expect to find on the ocean floor, but with open brain corals that’s exactly what you get. Less gruesomely known as crater corals or pacific rose corals, open brain corals are a favourite with aquarium owners but might also prove popular with slasher movie fanatics or proponents of bad brain surgery, if only they knew. Take a gander and see what you think.


Definitely something on the brain: Red Wellsophyllia open brain coral

Tough, colourful and captivating, open or folded brain corals are stony specimens characterised by two or three growths of expanding fleshy tissue known as polyps projecting from their base. The way their skeletons form miniature valleys with separate, pinched walls is what makes them appear so delightfully brain-like to human perception.

Purple patch: Wellsophyllia open brain coral




0 comments:

Post a Comment

 
Design by NewWpThemes | Blogger Theme by Lasantha - Free Blogger Themes | NewBloggerThemes.com