A step-down photophobic response in coral larvae: implications for the light-dependent distribution of the common reef coral, Acropora tenuis.

ABSTRACT: Behavioral responses to environmental factors at the planktonic larval stage can have a crucial influence on habitat selection and therefore adult distributions in many benthic organisms. Reef-building corals show strong patterns of zonation across depth or underwater topography, with different suites of species aggregating in different light environments. One potential mechanism driving this pattern is the response of free-swimming larvae to light. However, there is little experimental support for this hypothesis; in particular, there are few direct and quantitative observations of larval behavior in response to light. Here, we analyzed the swimming behavior of larvae of the common reef coral Acropora tenuis under various light conditions. Larvae exhibited a step-down photophobic response

SUBMITTER: Sakai Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7572417 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature