Alex Mustard / Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) at night with polyps extended to feed, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) photographed under blue light to excite the fluorescence, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Juergen Freund / Brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). Caribbean

Pascal Kobeh / Symmetrical brain coral (Diploria sp), close up, in coral reef with many fish. Flores Sea, Indonesia.

Linda Pitkin / Yellow goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus), by Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Bonaire: Captain Don's Habitat, House Reef, February

Adrian Davies / Fossilised Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Barbados.

Adrian Davies / Fossilised Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). Barbados.

Adrian Davies / Fossilised Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). Barbados.

Pete Oxford / Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Banco Chinchorro, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Pascal Kobeh / Brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Guadeloupe Island, Mexico. Caribbean.

Pascal Kobeh / Brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) with diver, Guadeloupe Island, Mexico. Caribbean. August 2012.

Franco Banfi / Close up detail of Brain coral (Diploria genus) Maldives, Indian Ocean

Alex Mustard / A Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Brit...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B...

Alex Mustard / A Symmetrical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) preparing to spawn at night, showing the bundles of eggs and sperm within the polyps prior to their synchronous release, with a Triplefin (Helcogram...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) preparing to spawn at night, with one gamete bundle beginning to be released, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbea...

Alex Mustard / Two photos of a Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, showing views before and during the release of the gamete bundles, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) preparing to spawn at night, with one gamete bundle beginning to be released, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbea...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night by releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from its polyps, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indie...

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) poylps capturing a planktonic worm, photographed under blue light to excite the fluorescence. The coral polyps glow green and the worm glows orange. The coral pol...

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) close focus wide angle view. Photograph is not digital manipulated, but taken with a fisheye lens placed very close to the coral with flashes aimed to illuminate...

Alex Mustard / Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) close focus wide angle view, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) close up view, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) colony spawning at night in late summer, bundles of eggs and sperm slowly being released from the polyps, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Ind...

Pete Oxford / Yellownose goby (Elacatinus randalli) in Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean

Pete Oxford / Grooved Brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba, Caribbean

Christian Ziegler / Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Bastimentos Marine National Park, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Pete Oxford / Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) filter feeding while attached to Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean

Pete Oxford / Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus) filter feeding while attached to Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean

Pete Oxford / Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean

Pete Oxford / Symmetrical Brain Coral (Diplora strigosa). Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Quintana Roo, South Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Pete Oxford / Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) on reef, Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba

Pete Oxford / Symmetrical Brain Coral (Diploria strigosa) on reef, Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba

Pete Oxford / Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Belize Barrier Reef, Belize

Pete Oxford / Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Belize Barrier Reef, Belize

Claudio Contreras / Symmetrical brain coral close-up (Pseudodiploria strigosa) Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve, Caribbean Sea, Mexico, April

Doug Perrine / Brain coral {Pseudodiploria strigosa} releasing egg and sperm packets during mass spawning, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean

Doug Perrine / Brain coral {Pseudodiploria strigosa} dieing from Black band disease, Bahamas

Doug Perrine / Brain coral {Pseudodiploria strigosa} mass spawning, Texas, Gulf of Mexico

Norbert Wu / Brain Coral (Diploria sp) colony partially taken over by sponge, which may eventually cover the entire coral, Indonesia

Norbert Wu / Brain Coral (Diploria sp) symbiotic algae within polyps produce food, Roatan, Honduras

Norbert Wu / Brain Coral (Diploria sp) dying, white area has been bleached and covered by sediment Healthy coral colony is greenish-brown and clearly shows grooves

Norbert Wu / Brain Coral (Diploria sp) dying, white area has been bleached and covered by sediment Healthy coral colony is greenish-brown and clearly shows grooves

Roberto Rinaldi / Symmetrical / common / smooth brain coral (Diploria strigosa), Honduras.

Christian Ziegler / Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) and seaweed, Bastimentos Marine National Park, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Pete Oxford / Feather Duster Worm (Sabellidae) filter feeding within Brain Coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean

Roberto Rinaldi / Close-up of brain coral, British Virgin Islands (BVI)

Roberto Rinaldi / Brain coral (Diplora sp), Cayman Islands.

Roberto Rinaldi / A goby fish (Gobiidae) making its way across the surface of Labyrinthine brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Belize

Roberto Rinaldi / A goby fish (Gobiidae) making its way across the surface of Labyrinthine brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Belize

Roberto Rinaldi / Close-up of Labyrinthine brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Belize

Juergen Freund / Brain coral. Close-up. {Diploria labyrinthiformis} Caribbean

Alex Mustard / Symmeterical brain coral (Diploria strigosa) infected with Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), after treatment with antibiotics and the central part of the coral was saved, Grand Cayman, Cayman I...

Alex Mustard / A symmeterical Brain coral (Diploria strigosa) infected by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), the disease is advancing out in a circular pattern from a single point of infection, Grand Cayman, C...

Alex Mustard / Detail of a Symmeterical brain coral (Diploria strigosa) infected by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) showing disclouration as disease advances on both sides of the central area of living tissu...

Alex Mustard / Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) on a coral reef, photographed with a long exposure with camera rotation. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / A large black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) hovers over a symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) on a coral reef. Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean...

Alex Mustard / A Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) swims over a Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) gamete in polyp, during spawning at night. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies.