Synodus foetens
Size: to 18"
Habitat: almost anywhere, but favors shallow waters
Notes:
You will find these at night in the river, perched on their fins, with alligator-like jaws studded with teeth waiting for some unfortunate killy to come by. Spook it, and the Lizardfish will dart away too fast to see.
Most tropical corals contain photosynthetic algae which provide a substantial amount of the polyp's food. White Encrusting Coral, also known as Northern Stony or Star Coral, contains no such algae and therefore can survive the low light conditions and temperatures of the North Atlantic where other corals would die. Instead, it is a filter-feeder, much like an anemone.
Corals are similar to anemones in many ways. Each coral polyp is like an anemone in a stony cup. Many corals are colonial ( as are some anemones ) sharing a single merged body among many polyps.
More: Northern Coral ...
