▁in ▁Western ▁Australia ▁and ▁the ▁Great ▁Bar rier ▁Re ef . ▁Its ▁depth ▁range ▁is ▁down ▁to ▁ ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁common ▁on ▁rock y ▁re ef s , ▁outer ▁re ef ▁channels , ▁re ef ▁s lop es ▁and ▁l ago ons . ▁ ▁E col ogy ▁ ▁F av ites ▁pent ag ona ▁is ▁a ▁zo ox anth ell ate ▁species ▁of ▁cor al . ▁This ▁means ▁that ▁it ▁har b ours ▁sym bi otic ▁un ic ell ular ▁din of lag ell ates ▁in ▁its ▁t issues , ▁which ▁use ▁the ▁energy ▁from ▁sun light ▁to ▁synth es ize ▁nut ri ents , ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁host ▁cor al ▁benefits . ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁ag gress ive ▁species ▁of ▁cor al . ▁At ▁night ▁it ▁extends ▁its ▁poly ps ▁to ▁feed ▁on ▁pl ank ton , ▁and ▁exp ands ▁its ▁el ong ated ▁swe eper ▁tent acles ▁armed ▁with ▁st ing ing ▁cells ▁well ▁beyond ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁its ▁base , ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁avoid ▁being ▁crow ded ▁or ▁over g rown ▁by ▁other ▁organ isms . ▁It ▁cle ars ▁away ▁sand ▁that ▁sett les ▁on ▁its ▁surface ▁by ▁infl ating ▁its ▁poly ps ▁to ▁dis l odge ▁the ▁sed iment . ▁ ▁F . ▁pent ag ona ▁is ▁a ▁simultane ous ▁herm aph rod ite , ▁the ▁eggs ▁and ▁s perm ▁being ▁released ▁in ▁well - formed ▁bund les . ▁In ▁any ▁one ▁area , ▁sp aw ning ▁tends ▁to ▁occur ▁in ▁synchron y , ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁cor