760 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



fhtltkj W. SavilSi-Kint. F.Z.S., [Milftrd-m.Sta 



PORTION OF A STAG'S- 

 HORN CORAL 



Each minute circular cell represents the situation 

 in life of a small sca-anemone-like 

 animal, or coral-polyp 



stated, differs in no respect 

 from a sea-anemone, except- 

 ing for the possession of a 

 calcareous skeleton secreted 

 within its basal tissues, includ- 

 ing portions of the mem- 

 branous radiating partitions. 

 Some coral-animals, like the 

 majority of the Anemones, are 

 solitary, and form single attached 

 or loosely lying corals. The well- 

 known MUSHROOM-CORAL is one 

 of the latter. One species 

 observed, which was photo- 

 graphed through the water by the 

 writer as it lay expanded in a 

 tide-pool on the Australian Great 

 Barrier Reef, might easily be 



its tropical allies. The Australian coast produces giant 

 species which may measure no less than from 18 inches 

 to 2 feet across their expanded disks. These giant 

 anemones are further interesting on account of the cir- 

 cumstance that they are self-constituted " harbours of 

 refuge" to sundry species of fishes and crabs, which 

 nestle among their tentacles like birds in a leafy bower. 

 The anemones are themselves bright in colour, but the 

 associated fishes are even more so. In an example which 

 was photographed by the writer on the Western Australian 

 coast, the anemone was olive-green, with the tips of the 

 tentacles bright mauve. The fishes, of which three examples 

 were present, were brilliant orange-scarlet with white 

 bands. In addition to the fishes a small flat-clawed crab 

 shared the sheltering hospitality of the anemone. Some 

 of the tropical coral-reef-frequenting anemones, which have 

 their tentacles beautifully branched, must be cautiously 

 handled, in consequence of their notable stinging proper- 

 ties. All sea- anemones and corals are, in fact, provided 

 with peculiar stinging-cells, with which they benumb and 

 thus make an easy capture of the living organisms on 

 which they prey. While the majority of the sea-anemones 

 live single or individually separate lives, there are some 

 which form aggregations or colony-stocks of numerous 

 units. These compound growths are brought about by 

 repeated budding, or the sub-division or fission, without 

 complete separation, of an originally single individual. It 

 is by a similar process of recurrent sub-division that the 

 wonderful fabrications of the coral-polyps are built up. 

 An ordinary coral-animal or polyp, as previously 



ttnlt kj IT. Savirli-KM, F.Z.S. 



A CLUMP OF STAG'S-HORN CORAL 



The life-colours of this coral are a delicate cream i:rith brilliant magenta tips 



