Microscope view of hard coral polyps showing zooxanthellae
![](https://eatlas.org.au/sites/default/files/styles/m_very_large/public/nwatlas/articles/AIMS_K-Damjanovic_3_Atenuis_12WeeksOld_04Mar2016.jpg?itok=Q4l98jcV)
© courtesy AIMS
Photographers: Katarina Damjanovic
Description
A young hard coral with polyps. The small brown flecks inside the coral are single-celled algae called zooxantellae.
This image is of a 12 week old Acropora TenuisĀ recruit grown inĀ the AIMS National Sea Simulator, taken with a dissecting microscope. The recruits were grown on tiles and transported to the microscope in a box of water.