Question

Rowan is doing a project on soft corals. Which is the correct way for Rowan to describe soft corals?

Answer 1

Description below

Step-by-step explanation:

Alcionaceans (Alcyonacea) is an order of corals that belongs to the subclass Octocorallia, of the Anthozoa class. Soft corals are commonly called, since they do not produce skeletons of calcium carbonate, so they do not contribute to the construction of the reefs, although they inhabit them.

The so-called soft corals and leather or leather corals, mostly meaty in appearance, have microscopic crystals of calcite in their tissues called spicules, whose function is to give consistency to the animal's tissue, in the absence of a skeleton. The shape and distribution of the spicules are the main characteristics used in the identification of genera and species of octocorals.

In addition to soft corals, this order includes gorgonians, which replace the skeleton of hard corals, Scleractinia order, by semi-rigid structures composed of calcite and / or a substance they generate called gorgonin.

Answer 2

Rowan's correct way to describe soft corals is by saying, "Soft corals are a species of coral that have no internal calcium carbonate skeleton."

Step-by-step explanation:

Soft corals are a group of coelenterates that are characterized by not having an internal calcium carbonate skeleton. They form colorful coral reefs, especially in tropical waters.

These marine invertebrates belong to the order Alcyonacea, which, in turn, includes two groups: the true soft corals, or sea feathers, and the gorgonians, or sea fans, consisting of an internal protein axis.

Unlike hard corals, true soft corals rely on skeletal elements called sclerites. These calcified spicules ensure support and firmness, as well as a spiny texture that aids in their defense.