Through what means do coral animals capture their food?

• A. Filter feeding
• B. Absorption of predigested food from their prey
• C. Dinoflagellates (photosynthetic protists that live in the coral's tissues)
• D. Teeth that shred their prey
• E. Tentacles that trap food particles

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that corals are marine invertebrates that belong to the class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria.
2. Recognize that corals have a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates, but these are not their primary means of capturing food.
3. Identify that corals do not have teeth or mechanisms for filter feeding like some other marine organisms.
4. Learn that corals use their tentacles, which are equipped with specialized cells called cnidocytes, to capture food particles from the water.
5. Cnidocytes contain nematocysts, which are stinging structures that help immobilize prey, allowing the coral to trap and consume it.