SEXUAL REPRODUCTION OF

CORALS POCILLOPORA AND

ACROPORA IN AMERICA

Muhammad Miftahul Huda - 135080600111016

Sexual Reproduction of Corals

Scleractinian corals display four general patterns of reproduction, depending on their

sexuality and how fertilization and gametogenesis occur. These modes of
reproduction are:
Hermaphroditic brooders
Hermaphroditic spawners
Gonochoric brooders
Gonochoric spawners
Hermaphroditism
In hermaphroditic species, ovaries and
spermaries may develop:
 On the same mesentery (most favids
and mussids)
 On different mesenteries within the
same polyp (most pocilloporids and
acroporids)
 In different polyps within the same
colony (e.g. Cladopsammia rolandi)
Hermaphroditic corals can be:
• Simultaneous hermaphrodites which
have ova and sperm that develop or
mature at the same time
• Sequential hermaphrodites which have
ova and sperm that develop or mature
at different times. The development
can exhibit:
 Protandrous → ♂ to ♀
 Protogynous→ ♀ to ♂
Hermaphroditism vs Gonochorism and Brooding vs Spawning

Hermaphroditism Brooding
Advantegeous when the probability of Fertilization may take place within the
finding members of the opposite sex is maternal polyp.
low, and self-fertilization is possible

Spawning
Gonochorism
Fertilization may take place externally in
Gonochoric species have separate sexes the water column after gametes are
(dioecious) during their lifetime, its shed.
advantegeous when the probability of
successful cross-fertilization is high
Global Comparisons of Reproductive Characteristics
Timing, Seasonality, Synchrony, and Periodicity

Timing Synchrony
•Month •Intra-colony synchrony (individual)
• Lunar day (new moon, first quarter, full •Population synchrony (species)
moon, last quarter, and intermediate
lunar phases) • Multispesific synchronous spawning or
mass spawning (coral assemblage)
Seasonality
Periodicity
•Winter
•Yearly
•Spring
•Seasonally
•Summer
•Monthly
•Fall
Environmental Influences on Coral Reproduction

Factors that may act as proximate Factors influences on sexual

temporal cues which may allow recruitment:
synchrony within population:
• Timing of reproduction
•Seasonal changes in sea temperature
• Competency periods
•Day length (photoperiod)
• Current regimes
•Wind or current patterns
• Availability of substrata
•Lunar cycles of night irradiance
• Environmental variability and
•Daily periods of light and dark disturbance
• Densities of predators and competitors
(biotic factors)
Caribbean Acropora

• Juvenile recruits are rare in the Caribbean and populations there are strucured
primarily by asexual process. Temporal and regional variations in biotic and
environmental factors can cause differences in reproductive and recruitment patterns
of coral communities.
• Caribbean acroporid reproductive strategy emphasized fragmentation over sexual
recruitment and the existing populations are so small.
• Sexual recruitment of acroporids is currently low because there are few adult
colonies to produce gametes and because of potential lack of fertilization success
when the distance between colonies is so great.
Hawaiian Acropora

• Unlike other Hawaiian corals which are found throughout the Archipelago from Hawaii to
Kure, Acropora has restricted distribution. Acropora cytherea occurs from Kauai to
Laysan, while Acropora valida and Acropora humilis have been found only at French
Frigate Shoals and Maro Reef.
• The dominant sexual pattern in Tropical Pacific corals is broadcast spawning of gametes
during late spring or summer.
• All species of the genus Acropora are simultaneous hermaphrodites
• Lunar phase of spawning in A. valida occurred on or between new moon and first
quarter.
• For A. humilis, lunar period of spawning centered around first quarter.
• The three Hawaiian Acropora appear to lack temporal overlap in spawning. Thus,
indicates that Hawaiian Acropora do not exhibit mass spawning such as those on the
Great Barrier Reef.
Hawaiian Pocillopora

• Hawaiian Pocillopora presents five morphotypes differ in reproductive biology and

habitat preference:
P. damicornis is a brooder and mostly found in calm and shallow waters,
P. meandrina is a spawner and mostly found on shallow reef parts exposed to
wave action, and
The reproductive modes of P. eydouxi, P. ligulata and P. molokensis are
unknown and they are mostly found in shallow reef parts exposed to wave
action, deeper exposed location, and deep waters only (below 20 meters),
respectively.
• P. meandrina released sperm over four days (around full moon) at approximately
two hours after sunrise → daytime spawner
• P. meandrina in Hawaii is known to peak in reproductive activity in April and May.
Hawaiian Pocillopora
Californian Pocillopora

• In the Gulf of California, P. damicornis was found to be a hermaphroditic coral.

• Reproductive activity peaked in summer and autumn, when the species did not
produce planulae but rather mature gametes.
• The water temperature which tends to be relatively high in summer and autumn in
the region, is the environmental cues to synchronous maturation of male and female
gametes.
• Gametes are released into the environment where fertilization and development of
planulae will occur → spawner
• All this shows that the reproductive cycle of P. damicornis is clearly influenced by
ocean temperature.
Californian Pocillopora
Pocillopora in Mexican Southeast Pacific

• P. damicornis colonies of the Mexican Pacific developed hermaphroditic structures

with evidence of simultaneous ova and sperm development in the same polyp.
• Asynchronous reproduction of gametes was evident as eggs and sperm at different
developmental stages within the same polyp.
• Spermary development appears to begin before ova maturation, as there was an
absence of primary spermatocytes and polyps usually contained both immature eggs
and mature sperm.
• Initiation of gametogenesis occurred in May with maturation of eggs occuring in
August.
Overall…
 Referensi
 Baird, A. H. dan J. R. Guest. 2009. Spawning Synchrony in Scleractinian Corals: Comment on Mangubhai & Harrison (2008). Marine Ecology Progress Series 374,
301-304
 Chavez-Romo dan Reyes-Bonilla. 2007. Reproducción Sexual del Coral Pocillopora damicornis al sur del Golfo de California, México. Ciencias Marinas 33 (4),
495-501
 Flot, Jean-François dan Simon Tillier. 2006. Molecular Phylogeny and Systematics of the Scleractinian Coral Genus Pocillopora in Hawaii. Proceedings of 10th
International Coral Reef Symposium, 24-29
 Harrison, Peter L. 2011. Sexual Reproduction of Scleractinian Corals. Coral Reefs: An Ecosystem in Transition
 Kenyon, Jean C. 1992. Sexual Reproduction in Hawaiian Acropora. Coral Reefs 11, 37-43
 Quinn, Norman J. dan Barbara L. Kojis. 2005. Patterns of Sexual Recruitment of Acroporid Coral Population on the West Fore Reef at Discovery Bay, Jamaica.
Rev. Biol. Trop. 53 (1), 83-89
 Richmond, Robert H. dan Cynthia L. Hunter. 1990. Reproduction and Recruitment of Corals: Comparisons among the Caribbean, the Tropical Pacific, and the Red
Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series (60), 185-203
 Rodriguez-Troncoso, A. P. et al. 2011. Sexual Reproduction of Three Coral Species from the Mexican South Pacific. Marine Biology: International Journal on Life
in Oceans and Coastal Waters
 Schmidt-Roach, Sebastian et al. 2014. Daytime Spawning of Pocillopora Species in Kaneohe Bay, Hawai’i. Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies 16, 11-12
 Soto, Derek dan Ernesto Weil. 2016. Sexual Reproduction in Caribbean Coral Genus Isophyllia (Scleractinia: Mussidae). PeerJ
 Stoddart, J. A. dan J. Gilmour. 2005. Patterns of Reproduction of In-Shore Corals of the Dampier Harbour, Western Australia, and Comparisons with Other Reefs.
MScience
 Stoddart, J. A. dan R. Black. 1985. Cycles of Gametogenesis and Planulation in the Coral Pocillopora damicornis. Marine Ecology – Progress Series (23), 153-164
 Whitaker, Kelley. 2006. Genetic Evidence for Mixed Modes of Reproduction in the Coral Pocillopora damicornis and Its Effect on Population Structure
THANK YOU