Toadstool leather coral
Scientific name: Sarcophyton spp.
Description: Many corals form a hard skeleton and have soft tissue within or just outside of openings. The toadstool leather instead is entirely composed of soft tissue. The toadstool is a relatively small coral reaching up to 50 cm in diameter. The coral is recognized by its beautiful polyps and mushroom like appearance. They inhabit tropical reefs across the Indo-Pacific region. The coral has a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic zooxanthellae but may also filter some plankton out of the water for additional nutrition.
Fun Facts: They can form colonies composed of many individuals and measure 1 meter across!
