Moonlight triggers sex in corals

Under the moonlight of the moon, the corals begin to come together, and soon, it becomes a sexual celebration.

Scientists have found coral reefs that regulate their sexual life with the halo of the moon.

At the end of spring, it is the love season in the reefs, when they release sperm and eggs into the water continuously for several nights after the full moon.

But how do they know that?

Leading researcher Oren Levy at the Center for Marine Research at the University of Queensland, Australia, explored coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef.

The group said, although corals do not have eyes, they can sense the change of light - especially blue light - and react to it.

Corals contain ancient proteins called cryptochrome that react with light. Cryptochrome is also available in mammals and insects, which function to biological clocks that control the daily rhythm of life.

The results show that the basic means used by mammals to control daily activities have been used at the beginning of multicellular animals. This also adds to the idea that these proteins evolve under the blue light of the ancient sea.