Скачать или смотреть Zoanthids - colonial organisms - a whole new type of animal!

Episode 17: Zoanthids

Zoanthids are anemone like animals but occur in sheets where each polyp is genetically identical and part of the larger colonial organism! It's quite hard to understand an organism that is both many parts but also one whole, as we are so used to being individuals.

Zoanthids contain symbiotic algae which photosynthesise and provide them with "solar power". This is why they are usually found on rocks which get plenty of sunlight.

Sundial shells are specialist predators of Zoanthids and we found quite a few while filming and featured them!

00:00 Introduction
00:33 Zoanthids look like many small anemones joined together.
01:00 Different colors on the rocks are different species of Zoanthid.
01:11 What are colonial organisms?
02:00 How do clonal organisms like zoanthids work together?
02:44 Sundial Shells - what eats Zoanthids?
03:54 How do Zoanthids get nutrition - photosynthesizing animals!
04:08 Solar powered animals - symbiotic with algae's.