The reef-building coral Acropora conditionally hybridize under sperm limitation.

ABSTRACT: Multi-specific synchronous spawning risks both sperm limitation, which reduces fertilization success, and hybridization with other species. If available sperm of conspecifics are limited, hybridization with heterospecific sperm could be an alternative. Some species of the reef-building coral Acropora produce hybrid offspring in vitro, and therefore hybridization between such species does sometimes occur in nature. Here, we report that the interbreeding species Acropora florida and A. intermedia preferentially bred with conspecifics at optimal gamete concentrations (10(6) cells ml(-1)), but when sperm concentration was low (10(4) cells ml(-1)), A florida eggs displayed an increased incidence of fertilization by sperm of A intermedia However, A intermedia eggs never crossed with heterospecif

SUBMITTER: Kitanobo S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5014045 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature