black coral en · NOUN
Etymology
From the black colouration of their skeletons of the corals, made of chitin; unlike shallow-water corals which use calcium carbonate to build white skeletons, evident during coral bleaching events which reveal the colour of the skeletons, due to the transparent corals expelling their colourful algae symbionts.
Meanings
- Any of various tropical corals of the family Antipathidae.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| black corals | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Hypernyms
Relateds
hard coral · coralporosis · octocoral · soft coral · coral · deep coral · coral bleaching