I-Los imifula Amakhorali ayizindawo eziphakeme ezakhiwe phansi olwandle ngesenzo sezinto eziphilayo ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-polyps. Lezi zakhiwo zebhayoloji zitholakala emanzini angashoni olwandle olushisayo lapho izinga lokushisa liphakathi kuka-20 no-30ºC. Zibaluleke kakhulu endaweni ezungezile kanye nokulawulwa kwezilwandle kanye nezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo.
Ngakho-ke, sizonikezela lesi sihloko ukuze sikutshele zonke izici, umsuka nokubaluleka kwezixhobo zamakhorali.
Ziyini izixhobo zamakhorali
Ama-polyps e-coral ayingxenye ye-Anthozoa yekilasi (phylum Cnidaria), futhi isakhiwo sawo se-anatomical silula. Zine-radial symmetry kanye nesikhala esakhiwe izingqimba ezimbili zezicubu, ezihlukaniswa yi-septum.
Umzimba we-coral unokuvulwa, noma umlomo, kokubili ukuphakela nokukhipha. Zinochungechunge lwamathente anameva azungeze imilomo yazo, eziwasebenzisela ukubamba inyamazane yazo.
Kunamakhorali athambile namakhorali aqinile, lawo akamuva amakhorali akha izixhobo. Ubulukhuni bunikezwa ngoba benza ungqimba lwe-calcite (crystalline calcium carbonate) emzimbeni.
Lawa ma-polyp enza amakoloni abanzi anenhlanganisela yokuzalana ngokocansi kanye ne-asexual, futhi ukukhula kwawo kudinga amanzi anosawoti, afudumele, acacile futhi ayaluzayo. Ukuthuthukiswa kwala makoloni kwakha isakhiwo esakhiwe njengesiphephelo ngokumelene nemisinga nanjengesiheha sempilo nokudla.
Ngokwezimo ze-geological kanye nokuguquguquka kwemvelo yendawo, izinhlobo ezintathu eziyisisekelo zezixhobo zamakhorali zenziwe. Esinye yizixhobo zamakhorali ezihlala ogwini. Ezinye izinhlobo ziyi-barrier reefs nama-atoll (iziqhingi ezakhiwe ngama-coral reefs kanye ne-lagoon emaphakathi) kude nogu.
Izixhobo zamakhorali zihlala izinhlobonhlobo ze-chlorophyll, i-macroalgae (nsundu, ebomvu, neluhlaza), kanye ne-coralline algae. Izilwane zinezinhlobo eziningi zamakhorali, izinhlanzi, izilwane ezingenamgogodla, izilwane ezihuquzelayo (izimfudu zasolwandle) ngisho nezilwane ezincelisayo zasemanzini njengama-manatee.
Ezingenamgogodla zihlanganisa iminenke, ingwane, ingwane, izimfanzi, i-starfish, ama-sea urchins nezipontshi. Izixhobo zamakhorali ezinkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni iCoral Triangle eseNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia kanye neGreat Barrier Reef e-Australia. Ngokufanayo, izixhobo zaseMesoamerican-Caribbean kanye nezixhobo zoLwandle Olubomvu.
Naphezu kokubaluleka kwazo endaweni ezungezile yasolwandle kanye nezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo emhlabeni wonke, izixhobo zamakhorali zisengozini. Izinsongo kulawa ma-ecosystem zihlanganisa ukufudumala kwembulunga yonke, ukungcoliswa kolwandle, nezimayini zamakhorali.
Kukhona futhi izinsongo zezinto eziphilayo, njengokugcwala ngokweqile kwezinhlobo ezidla amakhorali njenge-crown-of-thorns starfish.
Izici ezijwayelekile
i-coral reef yinoma yikuphi ukuphakama olwandle ekujuleni okungamamitha ayi-11 noma ngaphansi. Kungaba usebe lwesihlabathi noma idwala, noma ngisho netshe lokwenziwa elidalwe ukuphahlazeka komkhumbi. Endabeni yezixhobo zamakhorali, ukuphakanyiswa okubangelwa ama-biomes akhiqiza ama-exoskeleton e-calcareous.
Izixhobo zamakhorali ziyachuma olwandle olushisayo emhlabeni wonke, emazweni aseMelika neGulf of Mexico, Florida, kanye nogu lwePacific ukusuka eCalifornia kuya eColombia. Ziyatholakala futhi ogwini lwase-Atlantic eBrazil naseCaribbean, kuhlanganise nogu lwezwekazi kanye neziqhingi.
E-Afrika ahamba ngasogwini olushisayo lwe-Atlantic, kuyilapho e-Asia atholakala oLwandle Olubomvu, e-Indo-Malay Islands, e-Australia, eNew Guinea, eMicronesia, eFiji naseTonga. Izixhobo zamakhorali zilinganiselwa ku-284 kuya ku-300 wamakhilomitha-skwele, amaphesenti angama-920 awo asesifundeni sase-Indo-Pacific. U-000% wezixhobo zamakhorali emhlabeni usabalaliswe phakathi kwe-Indonesia, Australia kanye nePhilippines.
I-Morphology
Ama-polyps ane-radially symmetrical, futhi i-cavity yomzimba ihlukaniswe ngamakamelo ngama-radial partitions, okungukuthi, afana ne-sac (coelenterate). Le sac, ebizwa ngokuthi i-lumen noma amathumbu, ihlanganisa ukuvuleka ngaphandle (umlomo).
Umlomo usetshenziselwa kokubili ukungena kokudla kanye nokukhipha imfucuza. Ukugaya kwenzeka ku-lumen, noma i-lumen, yemikhumbi yesisu. Umlomo uzungezwe indandatho yamatende., ezizisebenzisayo ukuze zibambe inyamazane yazo ziyilethe emilonyeni yazo. Lawa matende anamaseli ahlabayo abizwa ngokuthi ama-nematoblasts noma ama-cnidocytes.
Ama-Cnidoblasts ahlanganisa imbobo egcwele into entinyelayo nemicu eboshiwe. Ekugcineni kunesandiso esibucayi okuthi, lapho sivuswa ngokuthinta, sikhiphe imicu ephithene.
Imicu icwiliswa oketshezini oluhlabayo futhi ingene esicutshini sempango noma umhlaseli. Umzimba walezi zilwane uqukethe izingqimba ezimbili zamaseli, Engaphandle ibizwa ngokuthi i-ectoderm kanti engaphakathi ibizwa ngokuthi i-endoderm.. Phakathi kwalezi zingqimba ezimbili kukhona into ebizwa ngokuthi i-mesoplasty. Ama-polyp amakhorali awanazo izitho ezithile zokuphefumula, futhi amangqamuzana awo amunca umoya-mpilo ngokuqondile emanzini.
Ama-Dinoflagellate (ulwelwe oluncane kakhulu) ahlala esicupheni esithambile se-coral polyp. Lezi algae, ezaziwa ngokuthi i-zooxanthellae, zigcina ubudlelwane be-symbiotic nama-polyp.
Le symbiosis iwukusebenzisana (zombili izinto eziphilayo ezisebudlelwaneni). I-Zooxanthellae ihlinzeka nge-carbon ne-nitrogen compounds kuma-polyp, kanti ama-polyp awanikeza i-ammonia (nitrogen). Nakuba amanye amakholoni amakhorali ayengenayo i-zooxanthellae, yilawo makoloni kuphela amakhorali ayebonisa le nhlangano akha izixhobo.
I-Coral Reef Nutrition
Ngaphezu kokuthola imisoco ehlinzekwa yi-zooxanthellae, ama-coral polyp nawo azingela ebusuku. Ukuze benze lokhu, banweba amathente abo amancane ukuze babambe izilwane zasolwandle ezincane. Lezi zilwane ezincane ziyingxenye ye-zooplankton ethwala imisinga yolwandle.
Ama-Condiciones ambientales
Izixhobo zamakhorali zidinga izimo zamanzi angashoni, afudumele futhi anamanzi. Ngeke zikhule emanzini lapho izinga lokushisa lingaphansi kuka-20 ºC, kodwa izinga lokushisa eliphezulu kakhulu liyobathinta kabi, izinga labo lokushisa elifanele lingu-20-30 ºC.
Ezinye izinhlobo zingakhula emanzini abandayo aphakathi kwamamitha angu-1 no-2.000 ukujula. Isibonelo, sine-Madrepora oculata ne-Lophelia pertusa, ezingahlobene ne-zooxanthellae futhi zingamakhorali amhlophe.
Amakhorali awakwazi ukuthuthuka ezindaweni ezijulile zolwandle ngoba i-zooxanthellae idinga ukukhanya kwelanga ukuze i-photosynthesis.
Ngithemba ukuthi ngalolu lwazi ungafunda kabanzi mayelana nezixhobo zamakhorali nezici zazo.