Abstract
Most coral species off Australia’s west coast spawn in the austral autumn (March–April), with a few species also spawning in the southern spring or early summer (November–December). This is the reverse timing to spawning recorded off Australia’s east coast. Porites lutea, a gonochoric broadcast spawner that is common on Australia’s west coast, is shown here to spawn in the months of November or December, as it does on Australia’s east coast. Spawning occurred between 2 and 5 nights after full moon, with the majority of spawning activity on night 3. Gametes developed over three to four months with rapid development in the last two weeks before spawning. Zooxanthellae were typically observed in mature oocytes, only a week before spawning so their presence may provide a useful indicator of imminent spawning.
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Acknowledgments
We acknowledge the following contributions made by individuals and institutions. Josh Corbett and David Gull for carrying out the field work; Tom Stewart, the histology and Cathie Page, the microscopic analysis for zooxanthellae. We thank Andrew Heyward for advice on the manuscript preparation and Woodside Energy Ltd for supporting the fieldwork.
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Communicated by Biology Editor Dr. Hugh Sweatman
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Stoddart, C.W., Stoddart, J.A. & Blakeway, D.R. Summer spawning of Porites lutea from north-western Australia. Coral Reefs 31, 787–792 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0896-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-012-0896-x