Corals are animals or plants? <p>Returning from vacation, many bring home souvenirs that will remind of a sandy beach and warm sea. Often among them you can find corals. They attract attention with their bizarre views, and they are specially mined for the production of souvenirs. And what is coral: plants or animals?</p>

At first glance it may seem that corals are plants that grow in coastal areas and in shallow waters in warm seas. But in fact, corals are a skeleton of a colony of living organisms, which are called coral polyps.

Coral polyps belong to the class of marine invertebrates. Many species of coral polyps inhabit the bottom of large colonies, which form an extraordinary beauty of coral reefs. The variety of coral polyps is more than 6000 species, which live mainly in warm waters, although some specimens also inhabit the northern latitudes. Colonies of coral polyps were found in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Scotland and even in the rather cool White Sea.

Coral polyps reproduce by budding, as well as through sexual reproduction. The resulting larvae swim for some time in the thickness as a zooplankton, and then settle to the bottom, where they spend the rest of their life. Corals, as a rule, feed on plankton, absorbing it together with sea water during filtration. But some species are able to absorb small crustaceans or even fish. The skeleton of corals can be not only lime, but also consist of protein compounds. And there are corals, which are completely devoid of any skeleton.

All coral polyps are divided into two subclasses: six-beam (in which 6 orders) and eight-ray (in which 5 units). The most numerous detachment is the stony coral, which includes more than 3,000 species. Representatives of this detachment are most often found among the inhabitants of coral reefs and souvenir shops. But other units are no less interesting.

Corals are often used not only for making souvenirs, but also for jewelry. For this reason, corals are prohibited from exporting from some countries, such as Turkey, Egypt, Thailand. You can export corals, if there is a check, proving their purchase in the store. But in all other cases of frivolous tourists can expect trouble at the customs.