Biannual Spawning and Temporal Reproductive Isolation in Acropora Corals.

ABSTRACT: Coral spawning on the oceanic reef systems of north-western Australia was recently discovered during autumn and spring, but the degree to which species and particularly colonies participated in one or both of these spawnings was unknown. At the largest of the oceanic reef systems, the participation by colonies in the two discrete spawning events was investigated over three years in 13 species of Acropora corals (n = 1,855 colonies). Seven species spawned during both seasons; five only in autumn and one only in spring. The majority of tagged colonies (n = 218) spawned once a year in the same season, but five colonies from three species spawned during spring and autumn during a single year. Reproductive seasonality was not influenced by spatial variation in habitat conditions, or by Symbiodi

SUBMITTER: Gilmour JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4786224 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature