Soft coral Dendronepthya sp seen against the glow of the Sun at the waters surface Fish are seen circling overhead and a brittlestar yellow lower centre subclass Ophiuroidea is seen on the coral The orange fronds seen here are the tiny tentacles of the individual coral organisms These tentacles filter plankton from the water and pass them to the organisms mouth This is a soft coral which differs from a hard coral in that the coral organisms do not produce a calciumrich rocky protective layer Coral reefs form the basis of extensive and diverse marine ecosystems providing shelter and food for a vast array of life Photographed in the Red Sea