Sexual reproduction of the solitary sunset cup coral Leptopsammia pruvoti (Scleractinia, Dendrophylliidae) in the Mediterranean. 2. Quantitative aspects of the annual reproductive cycle

The reproductive biology of the scleractinian coral Plesiastrea versipora in Sydney Harbour, Australia

“…Similarly, oogenesis in Alveopora japonica at high latitudes in Japan was 8 mo longer than that of a con-generic species A. daedalea in the Red Sea (Harii et al 2001). In addition, the solitary gonochoric brooding coral Leptopsammia pruvoti in temperate waters of the Mediterranean has an oogenic cycle of 24 mo and a spermatogenic cycle of 12 mo, further suggesting that gametes take longer to reach maturity in temperate regions (Goffredo et al 2006). Temperature also appeared to influence various stages in the oogenic cycle.…”

Gonochorism and planula brooding in the Mediterranean endemic orange coralAstroides calycularis(Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae). Morphological aspects of gametogenesis and ontogenesis

“…The frequency of this nuclear morphology in the female gametogenesis of the scleractinians is not clear. A nucleus defined as falciform or dome-shaped or U-shaped and adherent to the oolemma of the mature oocyte was described in other species, such as the hermaphroditic broadcast spawners Acropora cervicornis (Lamark, 1816) (Acroporidae; Vargas-Angel et al 2006), Gardineroseris planulata (Dana, 1846) (Agariciidae; Glynn et al 2000), Pocillopora damicornis (Linneo 1758) and P. elegans Dana, 1846 (Pocilloporidae;Glynn et al 1991), the hermaphroditic brooders B. europaea (Dendrophylliidae; Goffredo et al 2002), Favia fragum (Esper, 1795) (Faviidae; Szmant-Froelich et al 1985) and the gonochoric brooders L. pruvoti (Dendrophylliidae; Goffredo et al 2006), M. rubrum (Flabellidae; Heltzel & Babcock 2002) and Porites porites Pallas, 1766 (Poritidae; Tomascik & Sander 1987). This nuclear morphology is therefore present across sexual condition, reproductive mode and taxonomic classification and might facilitate fertilization (Szmant-Froelich et al 1985).…”

“…In particular, the only data from the Mediterranean Sea come from the observations of Lacaze-Duthiers (1873) on solitary (Caryophyllia smithii Stokes & Broderip, 1828, Balanophyllia regia Gosse, 1860, Leptopsammia pruvoti Lacaze-Duthiers, 1897) and colonial (Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766), Cladopsammia rolandi Lacaze-Duthiers, 1897) species, and from recent in-depth studies on the species Balanophyllia europaea (Risso, 1826) and L. pruvoti (Goffredo et al 2006). More recently, observations have been made on the reproduction of Cladocora caespitosa (Linneo, 1767) in the Adriatic Sea (Kruzic et al 2008).…”

The puzzling presence of calcite in skeletons of modern solitary corals from the Mediterranean Sea

“…Each skeleton was accurately observed under a binocular microscope to remove fragments of rock and calcareous deposits produced by other organisms, such as serpulid tubes and bryozoan colonies (Goffredo et al, 2007(Goffredo et al, , 2008(Goffredo et al, , 2009a. For each skeleton, the length (L, major axis of the oral disc), width (W, minor axis of the oral disc) and height (h, oro-aboral axis) were measured with calipers and dry skeletal mass (M) was measured with a precision balance (Chadwick-Fuman et al, 2000;Goffredo and Chadwick-Furman, 2003;Goffredo et al, 2002Goffredo et al, , 2004aGoffredo et al, , 2006Goffredo et al, , 2007Goffredo et al, , 2008Goffredo et al, , 2009a. The age of each skeleton of B. europaea was obtained by applying the age-size relationships previously obtained at the same sites and depths (Goffredo et al, 2004a(Goffredo et al, , 2008.…”