Planula brooding and sex allocation in the coral Goniastrea aspera

• KAI Sayaka

  Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus

• HAYASHI Chio

  Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus

• SAKAI Kazuhiko

  Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus

抄録

The plasticity of allocation between life history traits and of sex allocation in the sessile colonial coral Goniastrea aspera was examined by field survey and transplant experiment at two zones (lower intertidal and reef edge) of a fringing reef at Sesoko Island, Okinawa. A field survey showed that colony density, colony size, and polyp size were greater at the lower intertidal zone than at the reef edge zone. Mortality of transplanted fragments was higher at the reef edge zone than at the lower intertidal zone. These results suggest that the environment at the lower intertidal zone was more favorable for G. aspera. There was, however, no significant difference in the growth rate and reproductive effort of the transplanted fragments between the two zones. In contrast, sex allocation to testis was higher at the lower intertidal zone than at the reef edge zone in the transplanted fragments. Both spawning of gametes and brooding of planulae are known in G. aspera, and natural colonies at the lower intertidal zone brooded more planulae than those at the reef edge zone. Therefore, it is suggested that G. aspera produced more sperm at the habitat where number of brooded planulae was larger. It is considered that, in order to increase the possibility of cross-fertilization, G. aspera colonies exhibited the plasticity to allocate more resources to sperm where number of brooded planulae was larger.

収録刊行物

• Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies

  Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies 10 (1), 27-36, 2008

  日本サンゴ礁学会

キーワード

• phenotypic plasticity
• planula brooding
• gamete spawning
• reproduction
• colonial coral

詳細情報

• CRID: 1390001205301713920
• NII論文ID: 130002144911
• DOI: 10.3755/galaxea.10.27
• ISSN: 18833969
• ISSN: 18830838
• 本文言語コード: en
• データソース種別:
  • JaLC
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• 抄録ライセンスフラグ: 使用不可