2. The Walking Coral (Heliofungia actiniformis)
You did really read correctly: a walking coral! One of the rare movable coral species worldwide, the Walking Coral—also called the Mushroom Coral—is Although it doesn’t exactly walk along the ocean floor, this coral has the amazing capacity to separate from the substrate and relocate itself. It accomplishes this by slowly “walking” across the sea floor with its tentacles and filling its body with water. With its unique ability, the Walking Coral can flee bad environments such too high sedimentation or competition from other coral species. Usually solitary, the Walking Coral can reach a 20 cm in diameter. Its remarkable looks come from long, flowing tentacles covering its disc-shaped body. Found in the Indo-Pacific area, this species is regarded as near threatened by habitat loss and changing temperature. For marine researchers researching coral adaptability and survival tactics, the Walking Coral’s unusual motion piques much curiosity. For an organism usually seen as motionless, research has revealed that this species can move up to a few centimetres every hour—quite remarkable. Given changing ocean conditions, this mobility could be rather helpful since it lets the coral search for more suitable habitats. Researchers are also looking into the possible uses for the locomotive powers of the Walking Coral in initiatives involving coral reef rehabilitation and studying whether this species could be used to naturally reclaim damaged reef sections.