Sexual reproduction and early life-history traits of the Mediterranean soft coral Alcyonium acaule
| Type | : | ACL |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | : | Production scientifique |
| Au bénéfice du Laboratoire | : | Non |
| Statut de publication | : | Publié |
| Année de publication | : | 2016 |
| Auteurs (5) | : | TEIXIDO Nuria BENSOUSSAN N GORI Andrea FIORILLO Ida VILADRICH Nuria |
| Revue scientifique | : | Marine Ecology-An Evolutionary Perspective |
| Volume | : | 37 |
| Fascicule | : | 1 |
| Pages | : | 134-144 |
| DOI | : | 10.1111/maec.12255 |
| URL | : | - |
| Abstract | : | Understanding processes that contribute to a better comprehension of the population dynamics of long-lived species is critical for the maintenance and potential recovery of such species. Despite the abundance of soft corals in Mediterranean rocky reefs, little information exists on their life histories and reproductive patterns. In this study, we assessed the main reproductive characteristics and early life-history traits of the long-lived soft coral Alcyonium acaule. The sex ratio was 1:1; the smallest fertile colonies were one finger in size (2.1 +/- 0.6cm in height), and both colony and polyp fertility increased with colony size. Likewise, the number of eggs and spermary sacs per polyp increased significantly with colony size, whereas the diameter of the female and male sexual products did not. Over 6years of observations (2007-2012), spawning occurred primarily in July, after the seawater reached 20 degrees C, in a single spawning episode per year. Approximately 80\% of female colonies released eggs, which were retained on the surface of the mother colony by mucous strings for up to a few days. High fertilization rates were observed during spawning in 2008 and 2009 (94.9\% and 87.0\%, respectively). The timing of development was similar to 24h for the blastulae, similar to 48-72h for the planulae and 8-22days for metamorphosis into primary polyps. Survivorship of planulae was relatively high (similar to 50\% at 45days after release), but only 24\% of larvae metamorphosed into primary polyps, and their survivorship was moderate after 2months (65\% in 2008 and 74\% in 2009). Asexual reproduction was negligible, indicating that sexual reproduction is the main mechanism supporting the maintenance and recovery of populations. |
| Mots-clés | : | - |
| Commentaire | : | - |
| Tags | : | - |
| Fichier attaché | : | - |
| Citation | : |
Teixido N, Bensoussan N, Gori A, Fiorillo I, Viladrich N (2016) Sexual reproduction and early life-history traits of the Mediterranean soft coral Alcyonium acaule. Mar Ecol-Evol Persp 37: 134-144 | doi: 10.1111/maec.12255
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