Timelapse Videos Show Mushroom Corals Inflating to Escape Being Buried in Sand

Posted on February 9, 2012

These timelapse videos (sped up 300x) show mushroom corals (Lobactis scutaria and Herpolitha limax) excavating themselves after becoming buried in sand. The corals are able to escape the sand by using a series of inflation pulses. Dr. Pim Bongaerts from the University of Queensland says the mushroom corals can remove a layer of sand within hours. It is amazing to watch. Take a look:

The research was published here in the journal Coral Reefs.

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