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Title: Brittlestar Waiting For Coral Spawn. Cayman Islands.
Filename: CAY12_am-19116.jpg
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A detail shot of a ruby brittle star (Ophioderma rubicundum) climbing on top of a colony of mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata, previously Montastraea faveolata) as it prepares to spawn at night. Note the gamete bundles in the polyps of the coral. The brittle stars seem to be able to sense when the corals are about to spawn (in fact they are a good clue for anyone observing) and climb into position to catch the gametes. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.
- Anthozoans: Anthozoa
- boulder star coral: Montastrea annularis
- British West Indies
- Caribbean Sea
- Cayman Islands
- Cnidarians: Cnidaria
- coral reef
- Echinoderms: Echinodermata
- Faviidae
- Faviina
- Grand Cayman
- Invertebrates
- macro
- Marine Life
- ruby brittle star: Ophioderma rubicundum
- Sea Stars: Asteroids: Asteroidea
- Stony Corals: Scleractina: Scleractinia
- tropical
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