Coral head is an excellent hotel for all types of critters

By Susan Scott

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 26, 2011

~~<p>Stony corals rank high on my please-don't-ask-me-to-name-it list. I understand the basics of how these reef-builders eat, secrete, breed and build, but there are so many species and so many forms, colors, shapes and textures of each of those species, I've given up trying to identify them. I enjoy them nameless.</p>
<p>One coral head I like so much, though, I made up a name for it. Years ago I found about 20 furry shrimp, a new species for me, clinging to the top of a free-standing, 5-foot-wide coral head that looks like a giant apple fritter. When the author of several excellent local marine animal guides, John Hoover, came to visit, I showed him the 1- to 2-inch-long brown shrimp.</p>
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Stony corals rank high on my please-don't-ask-me-to-name-it list. I understand the basics of how these reef-builders eat, secrete, breed and build, but there are so many species and so many forms, colors, shapes and textures of each of those species, I've given up trying to identify them. I enjoy them nameless.

One coral head I like so much, though, I made up a name for it. Years ago I found about 20 furry shrimp, a new species for me, clinging to the top of a free-standing, 5-foot-wide coral head that looks like a giant apple fritter. When the author of several excellent local marine animal guides, John Hoover, came to visit, I showed him the 1- to 2-inch-long brown shrimp. Login for more...