Spawning of hermatypic corals in Bermuda: a pilot study |
| |
Authors: | Wyers S C Barnes H S Smith S R |
| |
Institution: | (1) Bermuda Biological Station for Research, Ferry Reach, GEO 1 St George's, Bermuda;(2) Present address: Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 SBD London, UK |
| |
Abstract: | This study investigates spawning of 4 hermatypic coral species from the subtropical environment of Bermuda. Laboratory evidence of spawning behaviour is supported by synchronous field observations. Development of scleractinian planulae to postlarval stages is recorded. Diploria strigosa, D. labyrinthiformis, Montastrea annularis and M. cavernosa shed highly buoyant, pigmented eggs (300–440 µm diam.) during July to September 1986. Brief spawning periods, synchronous between conspecific colonies, were recorded for M. annularis (July and August) and M. cavernosa (August) within 1 d of the last quarter of the lunar cycle. In August, there were overlaps amongst the spawning dates of D. strigosa and the Montastrea species. Nocturnal spawning periods differed between M. annularis and M. cavernosa. This constitutes the first evidence from an Atlantic community of overlapping spawning dates amongst several faviid species, and of the accumulation of scleractinian eggs and planulae in surface slicks. |
| |
Keywords: | Bermuda corals planulae reproduction scleractinians spawning |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|