This study discusses the morphological characteristics by using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) of tissue and skeleton of Lobophyllia hemprichii coral species that collected from the reef edge at El- Ain El-Sukhna (Gulf of Suez, Red Sea). L. hemprichii has a large polyp stony coral often referred to as a lobed, colored, carpet, flat, or open brain coral, meat coral, modern coral, or large flower coral. It has fleshy polyps that hide in calcareous skeleton. It is found in a variety of textures and color forms. Some are smooth, while others are pimply, and look like carpet. Colors vary from bright red, green, orange, gray, tan, or brown. Colonies are flat to hemispherical, phaceloid to flabello-meandroid, the latter with valleys dividing irregularly as growing space permits. Septa taper in thickness from the wall to the columella and have tall sharp teeth. Retracted polyps are thick and fleshy, with either smooth or rough surfaces. The symbiotic algae zooxanthellae hosted within its body provide the majority of its nutritional requirements through photosynthesis. It will also benefit from additional food in the form of micro-plankton or brine shrimp fed in the evening when its tentacles are visible. |
