11 September 2015

What is an Endheri?

"Kaley heevanee kalhu endheri gandeh hen" you may have come across this (very racist!) phrase while growing up in the Maldives. The common english name for Endheri is also Black Coral. Despite its association with the color black, not all Endheri are black, some occurs in shades of brown, and other appear white. Endheri occurs in a wide variety of shapes (e.g. small bushes, large fans), and can be observed under ledges, caves and reef slopes. They are able to survive in places with limited sunlight because, unlike most corals they aren't associated with algae for nourishment. In fact Black corals  feed by catching zooplankton in the water using their tentacles.

Common name: Black Coral
 Species: Antipathes sp.
Location: Lhaviyani Atoll
Date: 10 September 2015