The polyps of P. daedalea expand at night to catch planktonic particles floating by.
However, this coral obtains most of its nourishment from the dinoflagellates known as zooxanthellae it houses within its tissues.
These provide organic carbon and nitrogen, the products of photosynthesis, to their host.
To benefit from this  symbiotic arrangement, P. daedalea needs to grow in shallow, sunlit environments.

P. daedalea is an aggressive coral and seeks to prevent competitors from overshadowing it.
Researchers placed small colonies of this species alongside similar-sized colonies of the less-aggressive Favites complanata.
Some of the tentacles of P. daedalea developed into sweeper tentacles which then inflicted damage on the soft tissues of the adjoining F. complanata.
These sweeper tentacles were up to 90 millimetres (3.5 in) in length, about fifteen times as long as a normal tentacle, and well armed with cnidocytes.
The soft tissue damage was extensive, the skeleton was laid bare in places and sponges, algae and other fouling organisms grew on it.
Three of the ten corals that were attacked eventually died.
The polyps of P. daedalea expand at night to catch planktonic particles floating by. However, this coral obtains most of its nourishment from the dinoflagellates known as zooxanthellae it houses within its tissues. These provide organic carbon and nitrogen, the products of photosynthesis, to their host. To benefit from this  symbiotic arrangement, P. daedalea needs to grow in shallow, sunlit environments.
P. daedalea is an aggressive coral and seeks to prevent competitors from overshadowing it. Researchers placed small colonies of this species alongside similar-sized colonies of the less-aggressive Favites complanata. Some of the tentacles of P. daedalea developed into sweeper tentacles which then inflicted damage on the soft tissues of the adjoining F. complanata. These sweeper tentacles were up to 90 millimetres (3.5 in) in length, about fifteen times as long as a normal tentacle, and well armed with cnidocytes. The soft tissue damage was extensive, the skeleton was laid bare in places and sponges, algae and other fouling organisms grew on it. Three of the ten corals that were attacked eventually died.
Platygyra daedalea