Grouper

Grouper

Groupers are one of the apex predators in the oceans. They are eaten by others like sharks but they are very important for the marine food chain.

General information

Diet: Small fish, Squid, Octopus and other animals like snails, crabs etc.

Predators: Sharks and Big fishes
Habitat: coral reefs

Special Power: Gulping other fish in fraction of a second
Colour: Colours differ from red, pink, orange but most groupers have dark colours like grey.
Length: 1-5 meters depending on the species


Information about the fish

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A brief study on coral reefs

Coral reefs

• Describe coral reefs: 

• Coral reefs are large colonies of coral polyps bonded together.

coral polyp                    Group of coral polyps

• Where they are located 
• Coral reefs are located in warm, temperate and shallow waters in oceans. 
• How they are built and what they are made of?
• They are made of calcium carbonate, coral reefs begin to form when free swimming coral larvae attach to submerged rocks or other hard surfaces along the edges of island or continent.
• why they are important as an ecosystem and as a resource?
• 
  
• Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs support more species per unit area than any other marine environment, including about 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals and hundreds of other species. Scientists estimate that there may be another 1 to 8 million undiscovered species of organisms living in and around reefs (Reaka-Kudla, 1997).

1. In what parts of the world are coral reefs located?

Coral reefs are located in these tropical parts of the world.The largest coral reef is located near Australia and it called the great barrier reef.

2. Are there any coral reefs in the Arctic Ocean ?

No, Coral reef are not located in those cold areas. they are only found in 30n and 30s latitude

3. What is coral? (what kind of organism)

Corals are not living organisms coral polyp is the living organism that forms a coral reef

5. What are cnidae and nematocysts?

Cnidae and Nematocyst: minute, elongated, or spherical capsule produced by exclusively by members of the phylum Cnidaria, (E.G., jellyfish, corals sea anemones). Several such capsules occur on the body surface. Each is produced by a special cell called a Cnidoblast and contains a coiled, hallow, usually barbed thread, which quickly turns outward (i.e.. is reverted) from the capsule upon proper stimulation. The purpose of the thread , which often contains poison, is to ward off enemies or to capture prey. 

6. How does coral get food? What does it eat?

A coral polyp is a filter feeding animal which means it eats plankton. It catches plankton by its tentacles.

7. What are zooxanthellae and why are they important? 

These are unicellular organisms closely related to algae they grow in the body of animals such as corals and other benethic organisms. These tiny organisms provide nutrients they make from photosynthesis and give some of it to the host so the host gives it a place to live, this is very important for the growth of animals such as corals, jellyfish, anemones and etc. 
 

8. How does coral grow and reproduce? How do reefs form?

Corals form when free swimming coral polyps attach to submerged rocks.
Coral reefs can reproduce sexually and asexually, in asexual reproduction, new clonal polyps bud off parent polyps to begin new colonies.
 

9. How much does a coral reef usually grow in a year?

A coral reef only grows nearly a few millimetres a year
 

10. Why are coral reefs so important? Give at least two reasons?

Coral reefs are so important because it provides nursery areas and breeding places for animals but the main thing is it provides places for thousands of animals.