Tale of two colors: Cladopsammia gracilis (dendrophylliidae) color morphs distinguished also by their genetics and ecology

N. Hizi-Degany, E. Meroz-Fine, S. Shefer, M. Ilan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cladopsammia gracilis (Dendrophylliidae), an ahermatypic coral inhabits the northern Red Sea. Two color morphs (pink and orange) are found aggregated in caves devoid of hermatypic corals, associated with crustose coralline algae (CCA). Sequencing the rDNA ITS region revealed a separate clustering of members of each color morph. Both morphs grow in shallow waters, with orange corals limited to the upper 4 m, while some pink coral aggregates thrive deeper than 30 m. Planulae were released between June and December. Pink planulae treated with antibiotics and exposed at different intervals to CCA, were competent and metamorphosed even 110 days after re- lease. Maximal competency period for orange planulae was 70 days. All planulae were enhanced to metamorphose in presence of CCA. The mean age at metamorphosis of pink and orange planulae treated with CCA differed signifi- cantly. Most orange planulae settled directly on the CCA while most pink planulae settled on the wall of the experiment vial. The morphs differed significantly in the calyx cross-section area of primary polyps. Despite being considered a single species according to skeletal based taxonomy, the significant ecological and molecular differ- ences between pink and orange C. gracilis specimens suggest that they may belong to separate species.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2195-2206
Number of pages12
JournalMarine Biology
Volume151
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2007

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