Plate coral moving on it's own?

[TheMehal]

We have a plate coral in our 120g. Sits bottom middle of tank, on sand. It is about 4-5" in diameter. When I got home yesterday I noticed it had moved about 2" towards the rear of the tank, closer to the Live Rock. This morning, it has moved in another direction about 3". I did not know this coral was capable of moving itself around the tank?
We do have a sea cucumber (4") but nothing else of size in the tank that I beleive is capable of moving this plate coral on it's own.
Anyone seen this from a plate coral?

 

[wade1]

I don't know the how of it, but in the wild, plate corals are found all over coral rubble, at angles, on top, below, beside stuff. It, at a glance, appears that they can indeed cause themselves somehow to shift around. I don't know how that could be, but....

No idea if its something that can really happen or not. Maybe they inflate to huge proportions so the current can move them?

Wade

 

[Anonymous]

According to Borneman, it's due to "sytematic inflation/deflation" of the tissue. Apparently they can move towards areas of higher light as well.

 

[Calvin]

I've watched mine move around the tank. They infact do inflate themselves then deflate to move. Mine is now lodged himself bewteen some rocks. I'm going to move him back later today.

Hope that helps