Definition
corallite
noun
- The skeletal structure or cup-shaped cavity of an individual coral polyp within a coral colony.
Usage: technical; zoology
Examples
- Each corallite in the coral head houses a single polyp.
- The corallites of this species are arranged in a spiral pattern.
- Paleontologists examine fossilized corallites to classify extinct coral species.
- The walls of the corallite are secreted by the polyp's tissue.
- Under magnification, the intricate structure of each corallite becomes visible.