A coral is recorded eating a jellyfish for the first time, in intriguing photographs taken by scientists.
Coral usually feed on tiny plankton as well as products provided by photosynthetic algae.
Yet the photos reveal a stationary mushroom coral sucking in a large moon jellyfish.
Researchers believe the ability to feed on a variety of food sources like jellyfish may give the coral an advantage in a changing world.
The researchers publish their findings in the journal Coral Reefs.
BBC (thanks, Eliza)
Truly chilling.
I’ve been saying for years that everything that lives underwater is evil, but nobody listens.
*sigh*
hmmm creepy.
That is fantastic news. I remember a few years back I went to the Boston (US) Aquarium and they had a special display on jellyfish. They basically presented a jellyfish doomsday scenario where fertilizers, water temp increase, pollution etc massively increased the jellyfish population. Since the jellyfish had no predators they posited that the ocean would be over ruled by the beasties. But now we have hope! Go Coral!
If you thought that the carnivorous coral was bad, check out these starfish!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG17TsgV_qI
Eeeeek! :O
you beauty!
now they just need to introduce them into the Med
Wowsers, well that wasn’t on ‘Life’ last night!!