Why is coral an animal, not a plant?

Answer: It catches and eats food

It doesn't need sunlight — Wrong. Coral actually does need sunlight—but for the algae living inside it. The coral itself is still an animal regardless of light needs.

It catches and eats food ✓ — Correct! Corals are colonies of tiny animals called polyps that catch and digest food using stinging tentacles. Unlike plants, they can't make their own food through photosynthesis—they must eat to survive!

It produces carbon dioxide — Wrong. Both animals and plants produce carbon dioxide through respiration. What makes coral an animal is that it actively catches and consumes food.