Non-photosynthetic corals, popularly called azoox (short of azooxanthellae), seem to be all the rage these days, though they are by no means easy to keep. That is why it surprised us when we saw several at Moody Gardens, and in their coldwater touch tank exhibit no less. This particular specimen is called a strawberry anemone (Corynactis sp.), and like other azoox organisms, it doesn’t derive energy from sunlight. Instead, these non-photosynthetic corals capture food by filtering it from the water column, and that’s why they are so difficult to keep in captivity. Well, difficult may not be the most accurate term. What we mean is that these corals require almost constant feeding, which runs amok on aquarium filtration. Regardless, this little gem shows us just why the group of corals is so highly sought after. They are quite beautiful and are very unique.
