Walking coral: Complex phototactic mobility in the free-living coral Cycloseris cyclolites.

ABSTRACT: Not all corals are attached to the substrate; some taxa are solitary and free-living, allowing them to migrate into preferred habitats. However, the lifestyle of these mobile corals, including how they move and navigate for migration, remains largely obscure. This study investigates the specific biomechanics of Cycloseris cyclolites, a free-living coral species, during phototactic behaviour in response to blue and white light stimuli. Our results indicate a strong positive phototactic response to blue light with 86.7% (n = 15) of samples moving towards the light source, while only 20% (n = 15) samples responded similarly to white light (400-700 nm). Locomotion, characterised by periodic pulses lasting 1-2 hours, involved distances up to 220 mm in blue light trials, whereas significantly sh

SUBMITTER: Lewis BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11753679 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature