This diagram shows a section of a polyp, with zooxanthellae, and shows their symbiotic relationship. The coral will only grow in sunlit areas, so the zooxanthellae can photosynthesize. The coral provides protection with its tentacles, and carbon dioxide, a waste product for the polyp, but vital to the zooxanthellae for photosynthesis. The zooxanthellae, in return, give the coral oxygen, necessary for animal life, and nutrients, giving the coral nourishment when it cannot find prey.
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