Brain coral
Platygyra daedalea
- Scientific name
- Platygyra daedalea
- Group
- Cnidarians (corals, anemones, jellyfish)
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Indo-Pacific & Red Sea, Caribbean & Tropical Atlantic
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
Brain coral forms colonies with winding ridges that resemble the folds of a human brain, each groove housing a chain of tiny polyps. It grows very slowly, around one centimeter a year, meaning the largest colonies can be centuries old.
What defines this group — Cnidarians (corals, anemones, jellyfish)
Corals, anemones and jellyfish: the same simple animal, anchored to the bottom or drifting in open water.
- All armed with cnidocytes, harpoon cells that fire on contact.
- A body arranged in rays around a single opening, serving as both mouth and exit.
- Hard corals host algae in their tissue: it is their departure that causes bleaching.