Fun Brain Coral Facts For Kids

Brain Corals are invertebrates. These marine animals are usually found in shallow sea or ocean. They are a division of Cnidaria Phylum and are relatives of fish. Corals belong to the 'Muscidae' family of the Anthozoa class.

There are two coral types: soft and hard. The Brain Coral is the hard one and is generally found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean Oceans.

These coral species don't move and live within their areas. They have a human brain shape and use their tentacles like hands to clean the coral back from the sand. They are generally brown. Coral reefs help Brain Corals to communicate. Algae and Brain Corals have a symbiotic relationship in which corals provide a protected environment for photosynthesis, and the algae provide oxygen and help corals remove waste.

If you find this article interesting, check out our other articles on animals, such as eel facts and shrimp facts.

What type of animal is a Brain Coral?

Corals are a division of the Cnidaria phylum and are very closely related to jellyfish and in a way, anemones.

What class of animal does a Brain Coral belong to?

They belong to the Anthozoa class, also known as flower animals.

How many Brain Corals are there in the world?

There are six thousand species of coral around the world. Coral reefs can often be found in shallow parts of the sea, whereas some species are found near coastlines and cold seafloors. The population of Brain Corals is not officially recorded.

Where does a Brain Coral live?

Brain Coral lives in Florida, and cold sea floors. The brain-like organisms ironically has a human brain-like structure but they don't actually have a brain. They usually grow to six feet and can survive for up to a thousand years. We can usually find them in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean Oceans.

What is a Brain Coral's habitat?

Brain Corals are marine animals generally spotted in shallow, warm-water coral reefs in all the world's seas. Colonies can grow as large as six feet or more in height.

Who do Brain Corals live with?

Algae and coral are considered best friends, it is where the microscopic algae live inside and on top of the coral's structure and they usually share their food with coral polyps. These algae provide oxygen to these coral polyps.

How long does a Brain Coral live?

The cerebral-looking organisms called Brain Coral have a life span of around 900 years and can grow up to six feet in the water.

How does it reproduce?

They are hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female reproductive organs. Mass reproduction takes place once a year in which a large number of colonies and species release tiny eggs and sperm bundles. By expelling the eggs and sperms, the coral increases the likelihood of fertilization that occurs.

What is its conservation status?

While 22 coral species have been listed as Endangered and three as Threatened, the conservation status of the Brain Corals is of Least Concern.

What do Brain Corals look like?

Brain Coral is famously known for its grooved brain-like structure. The grooved structure of the Brain Coral looks like a human brain and has similar folds to that of a human brain and protects them from fish. They can grow up to 6 feet and form their colony within a particular area. Although they are part of the fish family, they are invertebrates that belong to a colorful and fascinating group called Cnidaria. The shape of the Brain Coral is oval and can be found in the shallow depths of the sea and ocean. In the day, they use their tentacles to protect themselves by wrapping them over their grooves. Coral polyps help produce calcium carbonate, which helps form a skeleton called a calicle and coral reefs. The reef starts forming when coral polyps attach themselves to a rock. They are usually brown with a yellowish and greyish tone.

How cute are they?

For Brain Coral, their grooved brain-like structure is one of the most interesting facts about them. They look very intriguing and adorable as they are chubby and plushy. Brain Coral is a grooved marine animal that genuinely increases the scenic beauty of sea waters.

How does it communicate?

Coral polyps play a significant role in helping Brain Coral to communicate in water. They communicate by transferring molecules. One of the interesting facts about the Brain Coral is that they communicate through tissue integration. This is advantageous because polyps easily transfer molecules such as nutrients, hormones, and oxygen, making it easier for the Brain Coral colony to communicate within sea water.

How big are Brain Corals?

The large cerebral-looking invertebrates found in water are known as Brain Corals, and they grow to be six feet tall. They use a hard calcium carbonate mineral to form a stony spherical exo-skeleton. The world's largest Brain Coral colony is at a dive site named Kelleston Drain.

Can Brain Corals move?

These organisms cannot move. Corals are immovable and have been living at the same point for years in the water.

How much do Brain Corals weigh?

The weight of the Brain Corals is not determined yet.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Brain Corals are hermaphrodites (a species containing both male and female organs) and can produce eggs and sperms.

What would you call a baby Brain Coral?

The larva, known as 'planula', is formed when the egg and sperm meet. They float near the surface and then attach to a hard surface, a suitable place that they call their living home.

What does it eat?

Brain Corals prey on tiny algae called zooxanthellae as food.

Is it harmful?

They are harmful as they produce Palytoxin, which can cause a respiratory reaction, hemorrhaging, and death to humans if ingested.

Would it make a good pet?

They wouldn't make great pets as they are confined to seas and waters, and it would be best for us not to meddle with nature. However, if you would like to keep them as pets, you may do so in a saltwater aquarium with ideal temperatures and measures taken.

Did you know...

Brain Corals are part of the fish family that belong to a group of hard corals or stony corals living in large areas of the shallow parts of the ocean. Their structure is composed of calcium carbonate, or limestone, which hardens into a rock-like exoskeleton, and the corals are aggressive, extending their sweeper tentacles beyond the base at night.

What is the symbiotic relationship between Brain Coral and algae?

The symbiotic relationship between algae and corals is that the coral provides algae a protected environment for photosynthesis, and algae provide oxygen and help corals in living and removing wastes.

Can you keep Brain Coral?

This marine animal is usually known as a relative of the fish and can be kept in a saltwater aquarium with warm temperature, lighting, and flow of water. They require constant care. When you clean these stony corals, you may use bleach which helps in removing their dead skin.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods, including centipede or Christmas beetle.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Brain Coral coloring pages.