Beneath the waves, for many, the only way to thrive is to live in colonies. So the masses get together to share common ground. Corals, sponges and tunicates spread their foundations as far as possible, until eventually theres nothing left to hold onto. Growth has to go up. One colonies response is to grow vertically like a skyscraper. The whip corals footprint is just the size of a coin. Yet anchored firmly, this bizarre building towers over 2 meters high. It’s exposed to nutrient-rich water inaccessible below and a great place to live. But not for the faint hearted. Residents need to handle a constant swaying, sometimes raging current without falling off. While delicate whip corals are interesting in general, it’s the critters that inhabit them which make them worth a closer look. This Goby family streamline themselves on a narrow beam, running up and down with the skill of tightrope walkers, unfazed by their precarious home. They shoot into the water column for a snack and play, jumping over each other like children at the playground. The family all have different eye colours, perhaps to distinguish themselves or communicate. A magnifying lens reveals complex patterns of chromatophores, pigment cells allowing them to change colour and match their landlord. Gobies are one of the largest families of fish and like shrimps, have populated most of the city. They have fused pelvic fins, which form a disc-shaped sucker, functioning like the remoras modified dorsal fin - this allows them to colonize bizarre buildings of all shape and size.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 17:21:40 +0000
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