Evaluation of gametogenesis and fecundity of escleractinian corals: Orbicella annularis, Pseudodiploria strigosa and Siderastrea siderea, at Isla Fuerte (Bolívar), Colombia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.acbi.331462Keywords:
Colombian Caribbean, gametogenesis, reproductive biology, reproductive effort, scleractinian coralsAbstract
The number of studies on coral reproduction has increased worldwide; nevertheless, in Colombia only few studies have been conducted, and none from the area of the present study. Colonies of the scleractinian coral species Orbicella annularis, Pseudodiploria strigosa, and Siderastrea siderea were sampled in Isla Fuerte (Bolívar), Colombia, in order to evaluate their gametogenesis and fecundity. Samples were taken from the center and the edge of 3-5 colonies of each species between August and September 2011, and between April and June 2012. Samples were fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution; later, they were decalcified using 10% HCl. Finally, they were conserved in 70% ethanol. Fecundity was calculated by direct observation, and the different stages of development were identified with histological techniques using Toluidin blue stain. Oocytes or spermaries were not found in any samples during stage I. Oocytes from O. annularis were found during July (stages II and III), and August (II-IV), whereas, oocytes from P. strigosa were found during April (II), and July (II-IV). Oocytes from S. siderea were found in all samples. Spermaries from O. annularis were found only during August. Spermaries from P. strigosa were found during April (II and III), and July (II-IV); and from S. siderea during August (II-IV), and September (II-V). O. annularis presented 394,6 oocyte/cm2 in the center and 20,1 oocyte/cm2 in the edge during July; whereas P. strigosa presented 368,8 oocyte/cm2 in the center during April. In spite of the differences in oocytes between the center and edge of the colonies, in this study the values found were higher than those for other Colombian Caribbean reefs under degradation conditions, such as other sites where fecundity was between 11 and 100 oocyte/cm2, respectively. These results allow us to observe and conclude that this reef is in better condition compared to two other Caribbean reefs studied. We recommend an annual monitoring of these and otherscleractinian coral species in the Colombian Caribbean.
Downloads
References
Acosta A, Zea S. 1997. Sexual reproduction of the reef coral Montastraea cavernosa (Scleractinia: Faviidae) in the Santa Marta, Caribbean coast of Colombia. Marine Biology, 128: 141-148.
Alonso D, Castillo P. 2007. Plan de manejo del Área Marina Protegida de los Archipiélagos del Rosario y San Bernardo, Santa Marta. p. 159.
Alvarado EM, Acosta A. 2009. Fertilidad y fecundidad de Montastraea annularis en un arrecife degradado. Santa Marta, Colombia. Boletín de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, 38 (2): 91-108.
Alvarado EM, García RU, Acosta A. 2004. Sexual reproduction of the reef-building coral Diploria labyrinthiformis (Scleractinia: Faviidae), in the Colombian Caribbean. Revista de Biología Tropical, 52 (4): 859-868.
Borger LJ, Colley S. 2010. The effects of a coral disease on the reproductive output of Montastraea faveolata (Scleractinia: Faviidae). Revista de Biología Tropical, 58 (3): 99-110.
Carpizo-Ituarte E, Vizcaíno-Ochoa V, Chi-Barragán G, Tapia-Vázquez O, Cupul-Magaña AL, Medina-Rosas P. 2011. Evidencia dereproducción sexual en los corales hermatípicos Pocillopora damicornis, Porites panamensis y Pavona gigantea en Bahía de Banderas, Pacífico mexicano. Ciencias Marinas, 37 (1): 97-112.
Díaz JM, Sánchez JA, Díaz-Pulido G. 1996. Geomorfología y formaciones arrecifales recientes de Isla Fuerte y Bajo Bushnell, plataforma continental del Caribe colombiano. Boletín de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, 25 (1): 87-105.
Fadlallah YH. 1983. Sexual reproduction, development and larval biology of scleractinian corals. A review. Coral Reefs, 2: 129-150.
Glynn PW, Gassman NJ, Eakin CM, Cortes J, Smith DB, Guzman HM. 1991. Reef coral reproduction in the Eastern Pacific: Costa Rica, Panama, and Galápagos Island (Ecuador). I. Pocilloporidae. Marine Biology, 109: 355-368.
Hall VR, Hughes TP. 1996 Reproductive strategies of modular organisms: comparative studies of reef-building corals. Ecology, 77: 950-963.
Harriot VJ. 1983. Reproductive seasonality, settlement, and post- settlement mortality of Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus) at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Coral Reefs, 2 (3): 151-157.
Harrison PL. 2011. Sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals. En: Dubinsky Z, Stambler N (editores). Coral reefs: an ecosystem in transition. Amsterdam: Springer. p. 59-85.
Harrison PL, Wallace CC. 1990. Reproduction, dispersal and recruitment of scleractinian corals. Chapter 7. En: Dubinsky Z (editor). Coral reefs. Amsterdam: Elsevier. p. 133-207.
Hughes, TP, Tanner JE. 2000. Recruitment failure, life histories and long term decline of Caribbean corals. Ecology, 81 (8): 2250-2263.
INVEMAR. 2006. Aves de isla Fuerte y Tortuguilla, dos islas de la plataforma continental del Caribe colombiano. Boletín de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, 35: 267-272.
Sakai K. 1998. Effect of colony size, polyp size, and budding mode on egg production in a colonial coral. Biology Bulletin, 195 (3): 319-325.
Soong K. 1991. Sexual reproduction patterns of shallow-water reef corals in Panamá. Bulletin of Marine Science, 49 (3): 832-846.
Soong K, Lang JC. 1992. Reproductive integration in reef corals. Biology Bulletin, 183: 418-431.
Szmant A. 1986. Reproductive ecology of Caribbean reef corals. Corals Reef, 5 (1): 43-54.
Szmant AM. 1991. Sexual reproduction by the Caribbean reef corals Montastraea annularis and M. cavernosa. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 74: 13-25.
Szmant A, Reutter M, Riggs L. 1985. Sexual reproduction of Favia fragum (esper): lunar patterns of gametogenesis, embryogenesis and planulation in Puerto Rico. Bulletin of Marine Science, 37 (3): 880-892.
Van Veghel MLJ, Kahmann MEH. 1994. Reproductive characteristics of the polymorphic Caribbean reef building coral Montastraea annularis. II. Fecundity and colony structure. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 109: 221-227.
Vega-Sequeda J, Navas Camacho R, Gómez Campo K, López Londoño T. 2011. Instalación y evaluación de dos nuevas estaciones de monitoreo de arrecifes coralinos en el Caribe colombiano. Boletín de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, 40 (1): 203-211.
Yap TH, Alino PM, Gomez ED. 1992. Trends in growth and mortality of three coral species (Anthozoa: Scleractinia), including effects of transplantation. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 83: 91-101.
Wyers S, Barnes S, Smith S. 1991. Spawning of hermatypic corals in Bermuda: a pilot study. Hydrobiology, 216/217: 109-116.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2018 Actualidades Biológicas
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The authors exclusively authorize the Actualidades Biológicas journal to edit and publish the submitted manuscript if its publication is recommended and accepted, without this representing any cost to the Journal or the University of Antioquia.
All the ideas and opinions contained in the articles are sole responsibility of the authors. The total content of the issues or supplements of the journal is protected under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, so they cannot be used for commercial purposes, but for educational purposes. However, please mention the Actualidades Biológicas journal as a source and send a copy of the publication in which the content was reproduced.
