text: what is the body structure of a coral? is it a polyp, medusa, or other? corals are polyps; most are colonial but some are solitary. their bodies comprise the typical polyp structures, plus an exoskeleton that has a base and vertical septa that grow and are left below the body as the colony grows and the animals die. the individuals may be connected by means of stolons and also have different appearances that are related to different functions (feeding, reproduction, fixation). the skeleton of a single polyp is called corallite.  this is a schematic drawing of a coral polyp: http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/img/environment/corala270705.jpg another good one: http://www.arkive.org/coral/coral/illustrations/coral_structure.jpg more detailed, showing several corallites: http://www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pierofun/png/scans/coralit2.jpg types of coral morphology: http://www.sbg.ac.at/ipk/avstudio/pierofun/png/scans/coralit3.jpg