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

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Abstract

There are few data on the reproductive biology of coral species living in temperate zones, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea. Leptopsammia pruvoti is a solitary coral that is commonly found in sea caves and under overhangs throughout the Mediterranean basin and along European coasts from Portugal to southern England. In this paper, we describe its annual reproductive cycle in the eastern Ligurian Sea near the city of Leghorn (Tuscany, Italy). Polyps were sexually mature at 3 mm in length (maximum diameter of the oral disc), were dioecious with a sex ratio of 1:1, and brooded their larvae. The maturation of spermaries took 12 months and oocytes 24 months. The rate of gonad development increased significantly from November to January, fertilization occurred from January to April and planulation during May and June. Seasonal variations in water temperature and photoperiod may have played an important role in regulating reproductive events. The amount of energy devoted to male gametogenesis (quantified by gonad index) was significantly higher in the sex separated species L. pruvoti than in the hermaphroditic dendrophylliid Balanophyllia europaea, whose reproduction has been studied in a previous work. We hypothesize that this difference is due to the contrasting sexuality or fertilization biology of these two species (cross-fertilization in the sex separated L. pruvoti versus possibly self-fertilization in the hermaphroditic B. europaea). Greater male sexual allocation in reproductive strategies characterized by dioecism or cross-fertilization when compared to those characterized by hermaphroditism or self-fertilization is common in plant mating systems. In relation to other solitary dendrophylliids, L. pruvoti presents an ‘r’-reproductive strategy.

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Acknowledgements

We dedicate this study to Mario Pasquini, great friend, best diver, and our very important advisor and collaborator, who left us on 19 June, 2005. We also wish to thank E. Manzardo, S. Arnone, L. Tomesani, M. Longagnani, L. Podda, O. Panaro, for their valuable scuba assistance in collecting monthly samples. R. Falconi gave assistance in defining laboratory guidelines. G. Marconi provided significant help in preparing histological samples. J. P. Gilmour (Australian Institute of Marine Science) revised and significantly improved this paper. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable revision. The Marine Science Group (http://www.marinesciencegroup.org) provided scientific, technical, and logistical support. The Bologna Scuba Team gave assistance for the dives. Our research was supported by the Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR), by the Associazione dei Tour Operator Italiani (ASTOI) and by Scuba Schools International, Italy (SSI). The experiments complied with the current laws of Italy.

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  1. Department of Evolutionary and Experimental Biology, Alma Mater Studiorum,University of Bologna, Via F. Selmi 3, Bologna, 40126, Italy

    S. Goffredo, V. Airi, J. Radetić & F. Zaccanti

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  1. S. Goffredo
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  2. V. Airi
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Correspondence to S. Goffredo.

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Communicated by R. Cattaneo-Vietti, Genova

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Goffredo, S., Airi, V., Radetić, J. et al. Sexual reproduction of the solitary sunset cup coral Leptopsammia pruvoti (Scleractinia, Dendrophylliidae) in the Mediterranean. 2. Quantitative aspects of the annual reproductive cycle. Marine Biology 148, 923–931 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-0137-8

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