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Coral Feeding Behavior
- Corals feed on bacterioplankton, floating eggs, zooplankton, and dissolved organic material absorbed from water.
- Some fish like parrotfish, surgeonfish, butterflyfish, hogfish, pufferfish, and triggerfish feed heavily on coral polyps.
- Parrotfish use their powerful beaks to break off small pieces of living coral tissue to eat.
- Other fish like wrasses also snack on large brain or boulder corals.
- Many pet corals can eat small pieces of fish, shrimp, krill, or squid.
- Corals help support about a quarter of all marine animals.
Fish Feeding on Corals
- Butterfly fish eat coral containing polyps, worms, and small invertebrates.
- Loss and degradation of coral reefs threaten the survival of reef fish.
Coral Prey and Importance
- Corals feed on bacterioplankton, floating eggs, and dissolved organic material absorbed from water.
- Some fish like parrotfish and surgeonfish feed heavily on coral polyps.
- Over 25% of marine fish species rely on coral reefs for habitat.
