[Coral-List] Scleractinian asexual reproduction

Mikael Dahl dahl.mikael at gmail.com
Wed Jan 21 05:38:55 EST 2009


Hi,


I work at a lab on the Swedish west coast where we keep the cold-water coral
Lophelia pertusa live in aquariums. We have recently observed a potential
novel mechanism of asexual reproduction. On the top of a branches (maybe 1
cm from the tip) has does it look like the calcium skeleton is (reabsorbed
or simply dissolved) and on both side of this "break" is a tentacle crown
formed. It has not released yet but when it does I guess this little tine
polyp can drift away in the water for quite a distance.


I am curious whether if anyone has observed anything similar?


all the best

Mikael




-- 
Mikael Dahl, Ph.D. candidate
Dept. of Marine Ecology, Göteborg University
Tjärnö Marinebiological Laboratory, S- 452 96 Strömstad, SWEDEN
e-mail: mikael.dahl at marecol.gu.se
phone: +46 526 686 12



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