Skip to main content

Close up photo of a Mountainous Star coral with gametes (Montast

080822, Anthozoans: Anthozoa, Cnidarians: Cnidaria, Faviidae, Faviina, Hexacorals: Hexacorallia, Invertebrates, Marine Life, Mountainous star coral: Montastraea faveolata, Stony Corals: Scleractina: Scleractinia, copyrighted, coral, egg, horizontal, landscape, macro, marine, ocean, spawning, underwater, underwater photo

This close up photo of the coral polyps of a Mountainous Star coral (Montastraea faveolata) shows the individual gametes preparing to be released. A collection of up to 200 eggs is mixed with sperm into these gametes, 5mm in diameter, that will float to the surface (due to their fat content) and break apart. The coral’s eggs and sperm will disperse with the ocean currents.