Coral staff column

開いたポリプはまるで紅葉“キサンゴのなかま”のご紹介

In the Coral Lab located within the Coral Cafe Bar (1F), one species of coral is selected from the more than 800 known species of coral worldwide and displayed as a "Coral Pick-Up Tank."
We started exhibiting "Coral Family" on Thursday, July 2nd, 2026, so let me introduce you to their fascinating features.

キサンゴのなかまは、ポリプと呼ばれる触手が開くと紅葉のように鮮やかな美しいサンゴです。

There are two types of corals: photophilic corals and anaerobic corals. Photophilic corals prefer places with plenty of sunlight and obtain some of the energy produced by photosynthesis from zooxanthellae living inside their bodies as nutrients. On the other hand, anaerobic corals, including yellow corals, live in dark places such as under rocks and do not live in symbiosis with zooxanthellae. Therefore, they need to actively hunt for plankton themselves. When hunting, they use their polyps to grasp the food and gradually close the polyps to bring it to their mouth in the center.
At Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa, the fish are fed mysid shrimp, which are a type of zooplankton.

Immediately after feeding with krill

It appears they've started to take it in.

The process of taking it in

キサンゴを含むサンゴのなかまの多くは、無性生殖と有性生殖の２つの方法で繁殖を行います。
キサンゴを以前飼育していた水槽内では、分裂や、根元から小さな個体が増殖する無性生殖と、有性生殖を行う放精・放卵のどちらもが観察されています。
また、イボヤギのプラヌラ幼生の放出による繁殖も確認されました。
初めはとても小さく、２㎜ほどの大きさでしたが、餌を与えると徐々に成長し現在は１㎝ほどの大きさに育ちました。コーラルラボではこれらの成長中の稚サンゴの展示も行っています。

色鮮やかなキサンゴをぜひ秋に合わせてお楽しみください。