Experimentelle Untersuchungen zur Anpassung von Fungiiden (Scleractinia,Fungiidae). an unterschiedliche Sedimentations-und Bodenverhältnisse.

Experiments on Adaptations to Sedimentation and Substrate in Fungiid Corals (Scleractinia, Fungiidae) Experimental evaluation of the sediment rejecting behaviour in fungiid corals shows: a). sediments easily slide off from cupolate coralla; b). some flat corals inflate the polyp to get rid off sediments; c). in most species sediments are entangled in mucus and removed by ciliary action. However mucus production is limited by the number of functioning mucous cells. During continuous stress by weighting sediments the tissue overlying the septal ridges gets cut and worn off. Damage instantly occurs in species with sharp septa, but relatively late in those with broad septa. Even minute tissue remains are capable of regenerating trophozoids attached to the old skeleton. Species which endure only low sedimentation rates, are mainly confined to hard bottoms (e.g. reef slope).