Quick answer
Corals feed as Filter feeder plus algae symbionts, adjusting with season, age, and local prey or plant availability.
Key takeaway
Corals feed as Filter feeder plus algae symbionts, adjusting with season, age, and local prey or plant availability.
Diet overview
Corals (Anthozoa) are best described as Filter feeder plus algae symbionts. That label summarises preferred foods, not every item an individual might sample.
How they obtain food
Foraging and hunting strategies reflect anatomy and habitat. Energy-rich foods are prioritised when available; lean seasons force broader diets or longer travel.
Seasonal and life-stage shifts
Young corals often eat different foods or receive provisioned meals from parents. Adults may specialise regionally based on what is abundant.
Ecosystem role
As consumers in their food web, corals influence prey, vegetation, or nutrient cycling.
Human conflict
Do not feed wild corals. Habituation raises injury risk for people and animals and can lead to lethal management.
Tiny animals, giant reefs
Each coral is built from many small animals called polyps, soft cup-shaped bodies ringed with stinging tentacles. Reef-building corals secrete hard skeletons of calcium carbonate beneath them, and as generations stack up over thousands of years they form reefs. The Great Barrier Reef, made by countless coral colonies, is so large it can be seen from space.
A partnership with algae
Many corals host tiny algae called zooxanthellae inside their tissue, which photosynthesize and supply much of the coral's food and its bright color. In return the coral gives the algae shelter and nutrients, a partnership that lets reefs thrive in clear, sunlit, nutrient-poor tropical waters. Corals also catch plankton and tiny animals using their stinging tentacles, especially at night.
Reproduction and growth
Corals can reproduce both by budding, where polyps clone themselves to expand a colony, and by spawning, releasing eggs and sperm into the water. On many reefs, mass spawning events see corals release their eggs and sperm together on the same few nights of the year. Growth is slow, with many corals adding only a few centimeters or less per year.
Bleaching and conservation
When water becomes too warm or polluted, corals expel their algae and turn white, an event called bleaching that can kill them if conditions do not improve. Climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, and destructive fishing all threaten reefs worldwide. Because reefs support a quarter of all marine species, their protection is a major global conservation priority, and the status of individual coral species varies widely.
Research notes
Figures for corals (Anthozoa) come from field studies, museum records, and conservation assessments that do not always agree on exact averages. Prefer ranges over single-point claims, and check whether a source describes wild, captive, or mixed populations.
Practical takeaways
If you encounter corals in the wild, prioritise distance and local guidance. If you care for related domestic or captive animals, match diet and housing to species needs rather than generic pet advice. Share accurate status information (Least Concern) when discussing conservation.
Sources
FAQs
What Do Corals Eat?
Corals feed as Filter feeder plus algae symbionts, adjusting with season, age, and local prey or plant availability.
What is the scientific name of the coral?
Anthozoa
What do corals eat?
Filter feeder plus algae symbionts
Where do corals live?
Warm, shallow tropical seas worldwide
Are corals endangered?
Listed here as Least Concern. Check IUCN and national lists for the latest assessment.