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Host effect on size structure and timing of sex change in the coral-inhabiting snail Coralliophila violacea

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Abstract

The distribution, size and reproductive characteristics of the snail Coralliophila violacea (Lamarck), which inhabits the surface of both the branching coral Porites nigrescens and the massive corals P. lobata and P. lutea, were surveyed to examine the host effect on: (1) population structure and (2) reproductive characteristics, including the size at sex change of symbionts. On branching hosts, most snails were solitary, whereas on massive hosts, most had formed multiple-snail patches. Significantly smaller snails as well as proportionally more females were found on branching than on massive hosts. Furthermore, the fecundity of the females on the branching hosts was significantly lower than that on the massive hosts. The size at sex change (male to female) of the snails was smaller on the branching hosts than on massive hosts. Patch composition differences can partly explain the smaller size at sex change for snails on branching hosts; however, there was also evidence that host morphology had a significant effect on the timing of sex change.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank H. Jiang, J.R. Cao, T.A. Chen and Y.W. Yang for helping with field collections and two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments. This field work was made possible through the facilities at the Kenting Marine Station, National Sun Yat-sen University. This investigation was supported by a grant from the National Science Council (NSC90-2611-B-110-001 and NSC90-2311-B-291-004), Taiwan, Republic of China.

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  1. Min-Li Tsai

    Present address: Shu-Zen College of Medicine and Management, 482 Huanchiou Road, Luju, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 821, Republic of China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, 2 Houwan Road, Checheng, Pingtung, Taiwan 944, Republic of China

    Ming-Hui Chen & Min-Li Tsai

  2. Institute of Marine Biology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 804, Republic of China

    Keryea Soong

Authors
  1. Ming-Hui Chen
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  2. Keryea Soong
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Correspondence to Ming-Hui Chen.

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Communicated by T. Ikeda, Hakodate

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Chen, MH., Soong, K. & Tsai, ML. Host effect on size structure and timing of sex change in the coral-inhabiting snail Coralliophila violacea . Marine Biology 144, 287–293 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1204-7

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