The Corals of Hong Kong

Glossary

Glossary ahermatypic coral s withou t associate d zooxanthella e livin g i n th e tissues, usuall y smal l deep-wate r specie s Alcyonacea a n orde r o f th e Octocorallia , sof t coral s wit h scat tered spicule s embedde d i n th e fles h Algae simpl e marin e an d freshwate r aquati c plants , som e large bu t man y a singl e microscopi c cel l amoebocyte a wandering amoeba-lik e cel l whic h carrie s nutrient s across th e coenosar c fro m on e poly p t o anothe r Anthozoa a clas s o f th e phylu m Coelenterata , includin g anemones an d har d an d sof t coral s asexual reproductio n i n whic h ne w individual s ar e forme d reproduction fro m a singl e paren t withou t productio n o f gamete s atoll a cora l islan d forme d b y th e slo w submergenc e o f submarine mountain s autotomy a voluntar y breakin g of f o f a par t o f a n animal' s body, usuall y t o escap e a predato r barrier ree f a coral ree f separate d fro m a land mas s by a lagoon o f variable widt h calcareous forme d o f lim e salts , usuall y calciu m carbonat e calices th e compoun d skeleto n o f a cora l colony , (or corallum ) comprisin g man y corallite s carnivorous feedin g o n anima l fles h Chart Datu m a point o n th e sea-shor e belo w whic h th e tid e neve r (CD.) falls ; th e lowes t theoretica l tid e cilia microscopi c hair-lik e processe s which , b y wavin g i n flowing motions , creat e wate r current s columella a bum p o r upwar d projectio n o f th e skeleto n fro m the mi d bas e o f a corallit e Coelenterata a larg e phylu m o f simpl e animals , includin g corals , anemones an d jellyfish ( = Cnidaria ) coelenteron th e interna l bod y spac e or gut cavit y of a coelenterate coenosarc th e sof t livin g tissu e whic h unite s individua l polyp s in a colon y coenosteum th e are a o f skeleto n connectin g individua l corallite s in a colon y coliform, faece l huma n o r anima l bacteri a commo n i n th e intestin e and voide d wit h th e faece s coral a grou p o f animal s i n th e clas s Anthozo a o f th e phylum Coelenterata , usuall y divide d int o har d (Scleractinia) an d sof t (Octocorallia ) coral s coralline alga e attache d marin e alga e whic h secret e har d limeston e skeletons corallite th e har d calciu m cu p i n whic h a coral poly p live s Crustacea th e mos t primitiv e clas s o f th e phylu m Arthropoda , including crabs , shrimp s an d lobster s Ctenophora se a gooseberries , a phylu m o f smal l jellyfish-lik e animals whic h swi m b y mean s o f wavin g cili a 96 dinoflagellate dollos dominance hierarchy a group o f planktoni c unicellula r alga e which mov e by wavin g tw o lon g flagell a reinforced cemen t cas t int o th e shap e o f a hug e twisted H , use d i n engineerin g project s suc h a s the High Islan d Dam to break the impact of wave action by dissipatin g it s energy i n multitudinou s angle s pecking orde r o f animals , wit h th e stronges t a t th e top an d th e weakes t a t th e botto m ecological th e habitat an d role of an individual in a community niche ecosystem a self-contained habita t wit h distinctiv e physical and chemical propertie s an d al l th e plant s an d animal s contained i n i...