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THE SEAS
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The:effeet of thisis-nally to kill, by a kind of sû'ocation,
the polypS in the centre ; - grdwth consequentlÿ ceases in this
region but is continued round the _edges.wheœ,the polyps
arte-uninjured; the sediment having slipped off, and so the
cotal…bhanges from a globular mass into a great, shallow
cup.»
Another way in which-sediment may affect coralsis
by accumulating around their bases and killing the lower—
most
The feeding of corals is of the greatest importance in..
the study of .coral reefs.
Coralsfeed in the same manner
as sea ahemones, seizing animal prey by means of tentacles
aTmed With batteries : of stingi—ng cells.
They pass this
into the stomach cavity where _it is
Corals ai‘ë
specialised carnivores …»living primarily on the animal
; -they
materialand if this
is—introduced into the stomach.Œvity it cannot bedigæted.
In a few corals…:food:is:coveyed
mouth by the
‘
hair—like cilia' which are ;usualW'eoncemed with clèansing.
In‘%--sOme,
no;‘ma—HyÎbé_a£tÎ ‘aWay-p0m the
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carry,
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rc‘0rals "
within theif
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numbersrofxminute,
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This strange association .,
'
and- plants;
_
cam—ed symbiosis; is discussed in Chapter. EX, … The. plants
-
-sïsgla11;œntained—Withm bellsoftheanimalïandÏare normallÿ
,
sonnmerous
,
,
the
ThIS
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soumversal that it “is @iifeüitf not to ffbélîéV‘è‘
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ofvaluetoboth1t1s iàcertainly
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wh1chneær@ccurfræmthe seabe1ngcamedfromgenera
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t10ntogeneraüonbyfhe Planu1æ Theplantsgam
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