[Coral-List] Coral feeding

James M. Cervino (Marine Biologist) cnidaria at earthlink.net
Thu Jun 1 14:16:13 EDT 2006


Dear Andrea,

When you say; "into the coral" are you saying that this translocated photosynthate in the form of carbon is going directly into the host issues and not to mucus bi-products? Or are you saying that the translocasted photosynthate or carbon that goes directly to the mucus (which we know is substantial) is part of the "into the coral quote" ? Because If you are saying that the mucus products that are the result of translocated photosynthate defines corals as autotrophic then this is incorrect, because none of this material is going towards the energy buget thus making them heterotrophic. Much of the oxygen is lost into the water-column.

Davy and Cook have also shown that During thermal bleaching host release factors or HRF diverts surplus carbon away from storage compounds to translocated compounds such as glycerol which is found in mucus and within host tissues.

Cheers, James





I believe in compulsory cannibalism. 
If people were forced to eat what they killed, 
there would be no more wars. 
Abbie Hoffman 



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