Coral is not carnivores or herbivores because it is not an animal. Coral is actually classified as a sessile marine invertebrate that belongs to the class Anthozoa within the phylum Cnidaria. It obtains its energy through a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae, which provide the coral with nutrients through photosynthesis. The coral also captures and feeds on small planktonic organisms using its stinging cells called nematocysts, but the majority of its energy comes from the symbiotic relationship with the algae.
