The Dendrogyra Cylindricus (Pillar Coral)
Pillar Coral is found in the warmer areas of the western Atlantic Ocean, a hard coral that can grow up to ten feet tall and four inches wide. It is one of the few corals that is able to grow on flat and sloping surfaces. It concentrates its ability to gain nutrients on photosynthesis, which is why it is almost always found in shallow water where sunlight can penetrate. They grow in colonies, focusing their efforts on nutrient gathering for their main host. Their colonies can grow to be very large, an example being the overcrowding that lead to their problem on the coast of Florida.
The system
All coral have gastrovascular systems, meaning that their digestive systems and circulatory systems are meshed together. The tentacles on its body take in food and prey that it is physically able to digest. Their mouths take in food that is then digested in the stomach. After digestion, the nutrients are distributed out to the rest if the body through the digestive filament.