Marine Biology

Coral Reef Borers

A great variety of boring animals from different groups inhabit the coral reefs, boring either on dead or live corals. These include sponges such as Cliona, Spirastrella, Aka, Amorphinopsis, Delectona, etc., ; Polychaete Eunice; the cirripede, Lithotrya ; Sea-urchins (Cidaris and Echinostrephus ) ; molluscs such as chiton ( Acanthopleura rasps ) and bivalves such as Lithophaga, Gastrochaena Petricola and Tridacna ) are bore into coral limestones