Linear skeletal extension rates in two species of Diploria from high-latitude reefs in Bermuda

X-radiography was used to study annual linear skeletal extension rates of the reef-building scleractinian corals Diploria strigosa and Diploria labyrinthiformis from the high-latitude reefs of Bermuda. Coral samples for X-radiography were collected from seven localities of varying biotopes and depths around the Bermuda platform and band couplets were measured. Mean extension rates of both species were highest on inshore and nearshore reefs, gradually decreasing towards the edge of the Bermuda platform and onto the fore-reef slope. Extension rates of D. labyrinthiformis were statistically higher than those of D. strigosa at three localities, while at the other four, the rates of both species were not statistically separable. extension rates of d. labyrinthiformis were statistically higher than D. strigosa within depths of 20 m and 32 m but not statistically separable at 3 m and 6 m depths. Extension rates of both species decreased significantly with increasing depth (r ²=0.92, P<0.03 for D. labyrinthiformis and r ²=0.95, P<0.02 for D. strigosa). Each species showed an inverse curvilinear relationship between extension rate and depth, the rate of change (i.e. slope) being the same for each species. Comparison of extension rates of each species from Berumuda with published rates of these species from lower latitudes showed an inverse relationship between extension rate and latitude.     

Aggregation and cnidae development as early defensive strategies in Favia fragum and Porites astreoides

To survive, corals possess a variety of active and passive defenses. This study examined the effectiveness of aggregation and cnidae development as defensive strategies in enhancing post-settlement survival and growth of two brooding corals, Favia fragum and Porites astreoides, in Bermuda. Growth and survival of solitary and aggregated spat were monitored over seven weeks; cnidae were extracted from surviving spat. F. fragum aggregated spat had higher mortality, slower growth, and more cnidae than solitary spat. On the other hand, aggregation proved beneficial for P. astreoides spat, which had significantly lower mortality, faster growth, and fewer cnidae. Aggregated and solitary F. fragum spat displayed negative correlations between cnidae density and growth, suggesting a trade-off between defense and growth; however, P. astreoides spat did not demonstrate such a trade-off. These differing responses suggest that early patterns of survivorship and defensive strategies are highly species specific and complex.     

Growth characteristics of the reef-building coral Porites astreoides under different environmental conditions in the Western Atlantic

Skeletal extension (3.67 ± 0.65 mm year⁻¹), density (1.49 ± 0.16 g cm⁻³), and calcification rate (0.55 ± 0.12 g cm⁻² year⁻¹) were determined using annual growth bands of Porites astreoides skeletons collected in three different reef systems in the Western Atlantic. The corals showed a low-density annual growth band at their apex, and seasonal timing of low and high-density band formation in P. astreoides appears to be similar at the three study sites in the Western Atlantic. The range of values presented here, for the three growth variables, spans the known range of skeletal-growth variability in P. astreoides for the Western Atlantic. The relationships between the growth parameters were similar to those previously described by other authors for massive Porites species from the Indo-Pacific, suggesting that P. astreoides has the same growth strategy, primarily investing calcification resources in extension rate. It is noteworthy that the P. astreoides population growing off the northwest coast of Cuba had similar growth characteristics as populations from the Caribbean region which were different from populations in the Gulf of Mexico, which seem to be isolated and adapted for growth at higher average sea-surface temperatures.     

Upper and lower mesophotic coral reef fish communities evaluated by underwater visual censuses in two Caribbean locations

Despite more than 60 yr of coral reef research using scuba diving, mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) between 30 and 150 m depth remain largely unknown. This study represents the first underwater visual census of reef fish communities in the Greater Caribbean on MCEs at depths up to 80 m in Bermuda and 130 m in Curaçao. Sampling was performed using mixed-gas closed-circuit rebreathers. Quantitative data on reef fish communities were obtained for four habitats: coral reefs (45–80 m), rhodolith beds (45–80 m), ledges (85–130 m) and walls (85–130 m). A total of 38 species were recorded in Bermuda and 66 in Curaçao. Mesophotic reef fish communities varied significantly between the two localities. MCEs in Bermuda had lower richness and abundance, but higher biomass than those in Curaçao. Richness, abundance and biomass increased with depth in Bermuda, but decreased in Curaçao. A high turnover of species was found among depth strata and between Bermuda and other Caribbean upper MCEs (45–80 m), indicating that depth was an important driver of community structure at all localities. However, local and evolutionary factors (habitat and endemism) are likely the main factors shaping communities in isolated locations such as Bermuda. High fishing pressure is evident in both localities, as total biomass of apex predators was generally low, and thus may be driving a “refugia” scenario in Bermuda, as the abundance and biomass of macro-carnivores increased with depth and distance from the coast.     

Relationship between biofouling and growth of the pearl oyster pinctada fucata (Gould) in Kuwait,Arabian Gulf

Results are presented from a three-year investigation of the relationship between accumulations of marine fouling organisms and growth of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata (Gould). Estimates are provided of the diversity of the foulers, and data on certain hydrological features of the experimental site are also given.There was an inverse correlation between growth of the pearl oyster and diversity of the biofouling assemblages, whatever depth. Growth curves did not follow seasonal variations in the environmental factors very exactly. It was also observed that the polychaete, Polydora vulgaris Mohammad, preferred the oysters planted on the bottom to those suspended near the surface. Bottom oysters suffered the highest mortality, but definite evidence of a relationship between mortality and infestation by the polychaete was not apparent. Percentages of both infestation and mortality were higher among the fouled oysters than those cleaned periodically.     

Do the maximum sizes,ages and patterns of growth of three reef‐dwelling labrid species at two latitudes differ in a manner conforming to the metabolic theory of ecology?

The size and age data and patterns of growth of three abundant, reef‐dwelling and protogynous labrid species (Coris auricularis, Notolabrus parilus and Ophthalmolepis lineolata) in waters off Perth at c. 32° S and in the warmer waters of the Jurien Bay Marine Park (JBMP) at c. 30° S on the lower west coast of Australia are compared. Using data for the top 10% of values and a randomization procedure, the maximum total length (L_T) and mass of each species and the maximum age of the first two species were estimated to be significantly greater off Perth than in the JBMP (all P < 0·001) and the maximum ages of O. lineolata in the two localities did not differ significantly (P > 0·05). These latitudinal trends, thus, typically conform to those frequently exhibited by fish species and the predictions of the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE). While, in terms of mass, the instantaneous growth rates of each species were similar at both latitudes during early life, they were greater at the higher latitude throughout the remainder and thus much of life, which is broadly consistent with the MTE. When expressed in terms of L_T, however, instantaneous growth rates did not exhibit consistent latitudinal trends across all three species. The above trends with mass, together with those for reproductive variables, demonstrate that a greater amount of energy is directed into somatic growth and gonadal development by each of these species at the higher latitude. The consistency of the direction of the latitudinal trends for maximum body size and age and pattern of growth across all three species implies that each species is responding in a similar manner to differences between the environmental characteristics, such as temperature, at those two latitudes. The individual maximum L_T, mass and age and pattern of growth of O. lineolata at a higher and thus cooler latitude on the eastern Australian coast are consistent with the latitudinal trends exhibited by those characteristics for this species in the two western Australian localities. The implications of using mass rather than length as the indicator variable when comparing the maximum sizes of the three species and the trends exhibited by the instantaneous growth rates of those species at different latitudes are explored. Although growth curves fitted to both the L_T and masses at age for the males of each species lay above those for their females, this would not have influenced the conclusions drawn from common curves for both sexes.     

Life-History and Spatial Determinants of Somatic Growth Dynamics in Komodo Dragon Populations

Somatic growth patterns represent a major component of organismal fitness and may vary among sexes and populations due to genetic and environmental processes leading to profound differences in life-history and demography. This study considered the ontogenic, sex-specific and spatial dynamics of somatic growth patterns in ten populations of the world’s largest lizard the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). The growth of 400 individual Komodo dragons was measured in a capture-mark-recapture study at ten sites on four islands in eastern Indonesia, from 2002 to 2010. Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs) and information-theoretic methods were used to examine how growth rates varied with size, age and sex, and across and within islands in relation to site-specific prey availability, lizard population density and inbreeding coefficients. Growth trajectories differed significantly with size and between sexes, indicating different energy allocation tactics and overall costs associated with reproduction. This leads to disparities in maximum body sizes and longevity. Spatial variation in growth was strongly supported by a curvilinear density-dependent growth model with highest growth rates occurring at intermediate population densities. Sex-specific trade-offs in growth underpin key differences in Komodo dragon life-history including evidence for high costs of reproduction in females. Further, inverse density-dependent growth may have profound effects on individual and population level processes that influence the demography of this species.     

Growing or reproducing in a temperate sea: optimization of resource allocation in a colonial ascidian

Relatively little is known about the life cycles of ascidians in temperate seas. Here, we investigated the biological cycle of the colonial ascidian Didemnum fulgens, a dominant species in some shallow localities of the NW Mediterranean Sea. Growth rates and frequencies of fission/fusion events were calculated over a period of 13 months, and the reproductive cycle determined after 32 months of observation. For analyses of reproduction, zooids were dissected in the laboratory and classified into five reproductive categories; these data were used to calculate a maturity index. For growth analyses, underwater photographs of marked colonies were used to estimate the surface area of D. fulgens colonies, calculate monthly growth rates, and document fusion and fission events. Clear seasonal patterns in reproduction and growth were observed, with distinct periods of investment into each function. Gonad maturation started in winter and larval release occurred in early summer, just before maximal sea temperatures were reached. After reproducing, colonies shrank and aestivated during the warmer summer months. Growth occurred during the cooler months, with maximal and minimal growth rates observed in winter and summer, respectively. Fusions and fissions occurred year‐round, although fissions were more frequent in fall (coincident with high growth rates) and fusions in spring (coincident with reproduction). These results add to the mounting evidence that ascidian life cycles in temperate seas are characterized by a trade‐off between investment in reproduction and growth, triggered by seasonal temperature shifts and constrained by resource availability during summer.     

Environmental interpretation using insoluble residues within reef coral skeletons: problems,pitfalls, and preliminary results

Insoluble residue concentrations have been measured within colonies of four massive reef corals from seven localities along the Caribbean coast of Panama to determine if detrital sediments, incorporated within the skeletal lattice during growth, record changes in sedimentation over the past twenty years. Amounts of resuspended sediment have increased to varying degrees at the seven localities over the past decades in response to increased deforestation in nearby terrestrial habitats. Preliminary results of correlation and regression analyses reveal few consistent temporal trends in the insoluble residue concentration. Analyses of variance suggest that amounts of insoluble residues, however, differ among environments within species, but that no consistent pattern of variation exists among species. D. strigosa and P. astreoides possess high concentrations at protected localities, S. siderea at localities with high amounts of resuspended sediment, and M. annularis at the least turbid localities. Little correlation exists between insoluble residue concentration and growth band width within species at each locality. Only in two more efficient suspension feeders (S. siderea and D. strigosa) do weak negative correlations with growth band width exist overall.These results indicate that insoluble residue concentrations cannot be used unequivocally in environmental interpretation, until more is known about tissue damage, polyp behavior, and their effects on the incorporation of insolubles in the skeleton during growth in different coral species. Insoluble residue data are highly variable; therefore, large sample sizes and strong contrasts between environments are required to reveal significant trends.     

Phytoremediation Effect and Growth Responses of Cynodon spp. and Agropyron desertorum in a Petroleum-Contaminated Soil

In order to compare the petroleum tolerance and phytoremediation ability of a native grass, Agropyron desertorum (desert Wheatgrass) with Cynodon spp. (Bermuda grass) in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil, a 7-month greenhouse experiment was performed. There were 4 soil treatments with 0% (uncontaminated soil), 2%, 4%, and 12% (w_oil/w_soil) petroleum concentration. Parameters including shoot and root fresh weight and dry weight, root penetration depth and root density depth, soil respiration, and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) degradation were measured during and after experiments. The results showed an increase in shoot fresh weight of A. desertorum in soil polluted with 2% petroleum sludge compared to the uncontaminated soil, whereas the growth of Bermuda grass significantly decreased in corresponding treatment. Root growth of A. desertorum was decreased in 2% and 4% petroleum sludge, whereas it was increased in Bermuda grass species. Overall, root fresh weight of Bermuda grass was higher than that of A. desertorum in all treatments. Significant increase in microorganisms' activity was observed in the presence of petroleum sludge and plants in soil compared with uncontaminated soil without plants, and the highest soil respiration (37.6 mg C-CO₂/kg soil day) has been observed in the rhizosphere of Bermuda grass in treatment with 12% petroleum sludge. Plants had a significant role in the degradation of soil contaminants as TPH degradation in planted soils was significantly higher than that in unplanted soil (TPH degradation (%) was 30.4 and 38.9 in A. desertorum and Bermuda grass, respectively, whereas it was just 13.3 in unplanted soil). The rhizosphere of Bermuda grass had significantly less residual TPHs compared to A. desertorum. The results indicated that both Cynodon spp. and A. desertorum had a peculiar tolerance to petroleum pollution. Therefore, as Bermuda grass has already been suggested to be a typical and efficient species for phytoremediating petroleum-contaminated sites, A. desertorum may also prove to be a suitable native alternative.     

Embryonic duration and post-embryonic growth rates of the tropical freshwater shrimp Caridina nilotica (Decapoda:Atyidae) under laboratory and experimental field conditions

SUMMARY. Embryonic durations and post embryonic growth rates of Caridina nilotica were determined under laboratory conditions at constant temperatures near 18, 24 and 30°C. Embryonic durations and intermoult intervals were negative curvilinear functions of temperature. At a given temperature moulting frequency varied inversely with shrimp size and slight sexual differences were apparent. Moulting frequency of berried females was governed by the temperature-specific embryonic durations. Growth rates were determined from changes in carapace length (CL) of individual shrimps (laboratory) or batches of shrimps (field enclosures) over 1 month and these data were used to calculate temperature-specific life-long growth curves for males and females. Growth in body mass was estimated indirectly from the carapace length-mass relationship of C. nilotica. On average, males grew marginally faster than females during the first 2 months of life, but growth of males larger than CL= 4 mm was considerably depressed relative to that of females. Inflexions in growth rate, apparently related to the onset of sexual maturity, were apparent in both sexes. Under laboratory conditions, the growth rate of males increased with temperature, but temperature-related differences were not as marked in females. Notwithstanding the more rapid moulting rate at 30°C the growth rate of females was slightly slower at 30 than at 24°C as a result of marginally but significantly smaller per moult growth increments observed at 30°C in animals up to CL= 5.5 mm. Possible reasons for this depressed growth are discussed. Growth rates of animals in field enclosures in Lake Sibaya over 1 month in winter (20 ± 3°C) were generally comparable to those estimated for the 18°C laboratory experiments. Growth rates in enclosures containing tripled standing stocks were almost identical to those containing the naturally occurring biomass of animals, suggesting a non-limited environment at least during the time of the experiment.     

Influence of environmental variability on the growth of Lilac-crowned Parrot nestlings

Growth rate parameters were analysed for Lilac-crowned Parrot Amazona finschi nestlings in the tropical dry forest of the Reserva de la Biosfera Chamela-Cuixmala, Mexico. Growth rates for psittacine species follow the inverse relation with body mass observed for neotropical landbirds, with larger parrot species exhibiting slower growth rates. There was significant variation between years in size and growth rates of Lilac-crowned Parrot nestlings with nestlings exhibiting slower growth rates in 1996 than in 1997. Food abundance for parrots also varied significantly between years, with greater food availability during the 1997 breeding season than that of 1996. The increased size and growth rates of nestlings in 1997 may have reflected this, and suggests the potential influence of environmental variability on parrot reproduction, particularly in such a markedly seasonal habitat.     

Rapid growth and short life spans characterize pipefish populations in vulnerable seagrass beds

The life‐history traits of two species of pipefish (Syngnathidae) from seagrass meadows in New South Wales, Australia, were examined to understand whether they enhance resilience to habitat degradation. The spotted pipefish Stigmatopora argus and wide‐bodied pipefish Stigmatopora nigra exhibit some of the shortest life spans known for vertebrates (longevity up to 150 days) and rapid maturity (male S. argus 35 days after hatching (DAH) and male S. nigra at 16–19 DAH), key characteristics of opportunistic species. Growth rates of both species were extremely rapid (up to 2 mm day^?1), with seasonal and sex differences in growth rate. It is argued that short life spans and high growth rates may be advantageous for these species, which inhabit one of the most threatened marine ecosystems on earth.     

A SHORT-TERM DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY OF CYSTOSEIRA OSMUNDACEA (FUCALES: CYSTOSEIRACEAE) IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA1

Several demographic features were examined in the field over a period of eleven months for the subtidal alga Cystoseira osmundacea (Turner) C. Agardh at two localities near Monterey, California. This species showed a restricted distribution with depth, with peak average numbers of 3–4 plants per m² occurring at 6–8 m and forming a dense canopy on the surface of the sea. Below 10 m depth, there was a decline in the abundance of plants and also in the proportion of plants which bore seasonal fronds and reproductive tissue. Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Agardh plants were also common at both localities. There was a negative correlation between the presence of this species and C. osmundacea at a scale of 1 m², but no correlation at 4, 9, and 25 m². Cohorts of C. osmundacea were mapped and tagged at one locality. The plants had markedly seasonal growth, with the greatest elongation of fronds occurring between March and June. Dense surface canopies and reproductive tissue were present during the summer months of June–August. These seasonal fronds were shed during September, leaving small perennial holdfasts and fronds. Plants were strictly dioecious, and there was a one-to-one ratio of male to female plants at both localities. Length-dry weight relationships showed that the largest plants had over 80% of their weight invested in seasonal fronds (vegetative plus reproductive tissue). Recruits of C. osmundacea at one locality appeared during September–November only in areas cleared to bare substratum. There was 15% survival of recruits between November and the following May, while 98% of the original mapped cohort survived for the 11 months of the study.     

Depth-Independent Reproduction in the Reef Coral Porites astreoides from Shallow to Mesophotic Zones

Mesophotic coral ecosystems between 30–150 m may be important refugia habitat for coral reefs and associated benthic communities from climate change and coastal development. However, reduced light at mesophotic depths may present an energetic challenge to the successful reproduction of light-dependent coral organisms, and limit this refugia potential. Here, the relationship of depth and fecundity was investigated in a brooding depth-generalist scleractinian coral, Porites astreoides from 5–37 m in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) using paraffin tissue histology. Despite a trend of increasing planulae production with depth, no significant differences were found in mean peak planulae density between shallow, mid-depth and mesophotic sites. Differential planulae production over depth is thus controlled by P. astreoides coral cover, which peaks at 10 m and ~35 m in the USVI. These results suggest that mesophotic ecosystems are reproductive refuge for P. astreoides in the USVI, and may behave as refugia for P. astreoides metapopulations providing that vertical larval exchanges are viable.     

Variation in coral growth rates with depth at Discovery Bay,Jamaica

Growth rates, determined by X-radiographic measurement of skeletal extension, decreased with depth for four of six species of coral examined at Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Growth of Porites astreoides, Montastrea annularis, Colpophyllia natans, and Siderastrea siderea decreased significantly with depth over a 1- to 30-m depth range. In Montastrea cavernosa, the highest growth rate occurred in the middle of the sampled depth range. Agaricia agaricites had no measurable change in growth rate with depth. A compilation of available growth data for Atlantic and Pacific corals shows a strong pattern of highest growth rates a short distance below the surface and a decrease with depth.Operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., under Contract No. DE-AC05-840R21400 with the U.S. Department of Energy. Publication No. 2467, Environmental Sciences Division, ORNL     

Multiple driving factors explain spatial and temporal variability in coral calcification rates on the Bermuda platform

Experimental studies have shown that coral calcification rates are dependent on light, nutrients, food availability, temperature, and seawater aragonite saturation (Ω _arag), but the relative importance of each parameter in natural settings remains uncertain. In this study, we applied Calcein fluorescent dyes as time indicators within the skeleton of coral colonies (n = 3) of Porites astreoides and Diploria strigosa at three study sites distributed across the northern Bermuda coral reef platform. We evaluated the correlation between seasonal average growth rates based on coral density and extension rates with average temperature, light, and seawater Ω _arag in an effort to decipher the relative importance of each parameter. The results show significant seasonal differences among coral calcification rates ranging from summer maximums of 243 ± 58 and 274 ± 57 mmol CaCO₃ m^?2 d^?1 to winter minimums of 135 ± 39 and 101 ± 34 mmol CaCO₃ m^?2 d^?1 for P. astreoides and D. strigosa, respectively. We also placed small coral colonies (n = 10) in transparent chambers and measured the instantaneous rate of calcification under light and dark treatments at the same study sites. The results showed that the skeletal growth of D. strigosa and P. astreoides, whether hourly or seasonal, was highly sensitive to Ω _arag. We believe this high sensitivity, however, is misleading, due to covariance between light and Ω _arag, with the former being the strongest driver of calcification variability. For the seasonal data, we assessed the impact that the observed seasonal differences in temperature (4.0 °C), light (5.1 mol photons m^?2 d^?1), and Ω _arag (0.16 units) would have on coral growth rates based on established relationships derived from laboratory studies and found that they could account for approximately 44, 52, and 5 %, respectively, of the observed seasonal change of 81 ± 14 mmol CaCO₃ m^?2 d^?1. Using short-term light and dark incubations, we show how the covariance of light and Ω _arag can lead to the false conclusion that calcification is more sensitive to Ω _arag than it really is.     

The Impact of Annual and Seasonal Rainfall Patterns on Growth and Phenology of Emergent Tree Species in Southeastern Amazonia,Brazil

Understanding tree growth in response to rainfall distribution is critical to predicting forest and species population responses to climate change. We investigated inter‐annual and seasonal variation in stem diameter by three emergent tree species in a seasonally dry tropical forest in southeast Pará, Brazil. Annual diameter growth rates by Swietenia macrophylla demonstrated strong positive correlation with annual rainfall totals during 1997–2009; Hymenaea courbaril growth rates demonstrated weak positive correlation, whereas Parkia pendula exhibited weak negative correlation. For both Swietenia and Hymenaea, annual diameter growth rates correlated positively and significantly with rainfall totals during the first 6 mo of the growing year (July to December). Vernier dendrometer bands monitored at 4‐wk intervals during 3–5 yr confirmed strong seasonal effects on stem diameter expansion. Individuals of all three species expanded in unison during wet season months and were static or even contracted during dry season months. Stems of the deciduous Swietenia contracted as crowns were shed during the early dry season, expanded slightly as new crowns were flushed, and then contracted further during 3–5 wk flowering periods in the late dry season by newly mature crowns. The three species’ physiographic distribution patterns at the study site may partially underlie observed differences in annual and seasonal growth. With most global circulation models predicting conditions becoming gradually drier in southeast Amazonia over the coming decades, species such as Swietenia that perform best on the ‘wet end’ of current conditions may experience reduced growth rates. However, population viability will not necessarily be threatened if life history and ecophysiological responses to changing conditions are compensatory.     

Varying growth rates in bamboo corals: sclerochronology and radiocarbon dating of a mid-Holocene deep-water gorgonian skeleton (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Keratoisis</Emphasis> sp<Emphasis Type="Italic">.</Emphasis>: Octocorallia) from Chatham Rise (New Zealand)

A branched mid-Holocene bamboo coral skeleton of the isidid gorgonian genus Keratoisis (Octocorallia) recovered at southwestern Chatham Rise (New Zealand) from an average water depth of 680 m is described with respect to sclerochronology and age determination. Growth rates of the Mg-calcitic internodal increments were investigated by the counting of colour bands and radiocarbon dating. Growth banding is produced by varying orientations of crystal fan bundles towards the image plane. The skeleton shows three growth interruptions, which are documented in all branches. AMS ¹⁴C ages decrease from base to top of the trunk and from the central axes to the margins of the branches, documenting a simultaneous vertical and lateral growth. The data provide a maximum age of 3,975 ± 35 years BP, and a record spanning 240 ± 35 years. While calculated longitudinal growth rates amount to an average of 5 mm year⁻¹ during a 55-year record, average lateral linear extension rates of 0.4 mm year⁻¹ are an order of magnitude lower, still allowing for a seasonal to annual resolution of colour bands on a macroscopic scale and for a daily to monthly resolution on microscales of individual crystal generations to fascicle bundles. Hence, the isidid skeleton provides a high-resolution archive of paleoceanographic dynamics in deeper water masses. Concentric incremental accretion around the central axis in the early growth stages changed into a unilaterally asymmetric growth during late-stage evolution, probably triggered by the establishment of a stable system of unidirectional currents and nutrient flux. While colour band counts, related to the AMS ¹⁴C ages, support a seasonal to annual accretion of macroscopic growth bands in the inner concentric and complete outer parts of the skeleton, incremental growth rates at the condensed side are highly variable, as documented by hiatuses and unconformities. Thus the specimen proves that growth rates of bamboo corals may vary within individual skeletons and strongly deviate from the annual mode, hence showing implications on paleoceanographic proxy analyses.