Exploring Under Water
Most people are familiar with mushrooms – the fleshy, fruiting body of a fungus that lives above ground. But did you know mushrooms also live in the ocean?
Mushroom corals are very unique creatures. Most of these animals are
smaller than a DVD, and some are as small as a quarter. They come in many colors: orange, purple, blue, pink, red, green and all the combinations in between. Mushrooms also can be bumpy, smooth, striped or frilly. Related to anemones, most mushrooms have symbiotic algae that live inside them and provide some food. They will also collect tiny bits of food in the mucus that covers their bodies and will eat that for dinner. Unlike anemones, they do not have long tentacles, but some have tentacles that they will use to keep other corals from getting too close.
Read more about mushroom coral in today’s Exploring Under Water!
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