Organ pipe coral

Organ pipe coral
Organ pipe coral
Skeleton of Tubipora musica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Anthozoa
Subclass: Alcyonaria
Order: Stolonifera
Family: Tubiporidae
Genus: Tubipora
Species: T. musica
Binomial name
Tubipora musica
Linnaeus, 1758

The Organ pipe coral (Tubipora musica) is an alcyonarian coral native to the waters of the Indian Ocean and the central and western regions of the Pacific Ocean. It is the only known species of the genus Tubipora. This species is a soft coral but with a unique, hard skeleton of calcium carbonate that contains many organ pipe-like tubes. On each tube is a series of polyps which each have eight feather-like tentacles. These tentacles are usually extended during the day, but will swiftly withdraw with any sort of disturbance. The skeleton is a bright red color, but is typically obscured by the numerous polyps, which are green or gray in color. In size, colonies can reach up to a meter across, while the individual polyps are typically less than 3 mm wide and a few mm long. They are restricted to shallow waters and tend to live in sheltered areas. They eat plankton. They are close relatives to other soft coral and sea fans.[1][2]

Notes

Full corallum of Tubipora musica.
  1. ^ Allen, Gerald (June 20, 2001). Marine Life of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 962-593-948-2. p. 21.
  2. ^ ARKive species. Tubipora musica - organ-pipe coral. Retrieved on December 12, 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Organ-pipe coral — Organ Or gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • organ-pipe coral — an alcyonarian coral of the genus Tubipora, occurring in tropical waters, and forming a complex colony of brick red, vertical tubules joined at intervals by transverse plates. [1825 35] * * * ▪ coral       (genus Tubipora), any of a genus of… …   Universalium

  • organ-pipe coral — noun : an alcyonarian coral of the genus Tubipora having a usually red or purple skeleton consisting of a mass of parallel cylindrical tubes united at intervals by horizontal plates and being found in tropical parts of the Indian ocean and the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Organ pipe — Organ Or gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Organ — Or gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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  • Organ fish — Organ Or gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Organ gun — Organ Or gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Organ harmonium — Organ Or gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Organ of Corti — Organ Or gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is performed, or an important end accomplished; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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