Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?

[Phyl]

Can someone explain to me why corals are considered animals? I can't seem to get past seeing them as plants! They look like plants, seem to grow like plants, seem to split like plants? What properties do they have that animals have?

 

[JG]

Corals cannot photosynthesize their own food , although many species have symbiotic algae that do this for them.

Corals have mouths and digestive systems.

Corals have a muscular system and a nervous system.

They are capable of motion during one stage of their lives.

Their reproduction also differs from that of plants.

I'm sure that there are plenty of other diff's as well..

 

[fernzpat]

Corals do not respond well to Miracle Grow.... 8)

 

[midiman]

They also lack the cell walls present in plant cells.

 

[Phyl]

Corals do not respond well to Miracle Grow....

Right you are, fernz, right you are!

Fascinating, really. Smells like a plant, looks like a plant, acts like a plant.. lo & behold, It's a dog. Hmmmm.