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Correspondence to: y. Benayahu coral reefs (1997) 16:5—12 reports clonal propagation by the azooxanthellate octocoral (1996).
| Content Provider | CiteSeerX |
|---|---|
| Author | Hemprichi, Dendronephthya Dahan, M. Benayahu, Y. |
| Abstract | Abstract. The azooxanthellate octocoral Dendronephthya hemprichi (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) is the most abun-dant benthic organism inhabiting the under-water surfa-ces of oil jetties at Eilat (Red Sea); however, it is very rare on Eilat’s natural reefs. This soft coral exhibits a newly discovered mode of clonal propagation that results in autotomy of small-sized fragments (2—5 mm in length). They possess specialized root-like processes that enable a rapid attachment onto the substrata. An autotomy event is completed within only 2 days; large colonies can bear hundreds of pre-detached fragments. Temporal fluctu-ations in the percentage of fragment-bearing colonies indi-cate that autotomy is stimulated by exogenous factors, probably flow-related events. Recruitment of fragments onto PVC plates placed horizontally adjacent to D. hemprichi colonies, was immediate and remarkably high. Attached fragments were observed 2 days after placement of plates; after 52 days, densities of more than one recruit per cm2 were recorded. The negative buoyancy of fragments causes them to land on horizontal surfaces rather than on vertical ones. However, their survivorship on vertical surfaces is much higher. This pattern corres-ponds with dominance of D. hemprichi on vertical substra-ta at the oil jetties and on natural vertical reefs of the northern Red Sea. Such a mode of clonal propagation provides an efficient mean for genets of D. hemprichi to exploit food resources within a zooxanthellate-dominated reef community. |
| File Format | |
| Publisher Date | 1996-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Benayahu Coral Reef Report Clonal Propagation Oil Jetty Clonal Propagation Natural Vertical Reef Zooxanthellate-dominated Reef Community Flow-related Event Horizontal Surface Exogenous Factor Large Colony Temporal Fluctu-ations Vertical Substra-ta Vertical One Fragment-bearing Colony Negative Buoyancy Food Resource Vertical Surface Northern Red Sea Pattern Corres-ponds Hemprichi Colony Eilat Natural Reef Pvc Plate Autotomy Event Efficient Mean Pre-detached Fragment Specialized Root-like Process Abun-dant Benthic Organism Under-water Surfa-ces Red Sea Small-sized Fragment Azooxanthellate Octocoral Dendronephthya Hemprichi Rapid Attachment |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
