Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetic differentiation amongst populations of the coral Pocillopora damicornis off southwestern Australia

  • Published:
Coral Reefs Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An electrophoretic study of genetic differentiation amongst local populations of the reef-coral Pocillopora damicornis was used to group coral heads into units defined as the area of effective dispersal of a clone, and termed “colonies”. For reefs off southwestern Australia, colonies were usually under a few hundred metres in extent. Although most new recruits within a colony were derived asexually, sexually produced propagules acted to connect populations outside the boundaries of a colony. Such connections were weak, and allelic frequencies varied considerably over a few kilometres. The primary agent of genetic differentiation was suggested to be the small effective population size resulting from the asexual proliferation of a few genotypes at any site. The effective number of genotypes per colony was approximately six. Asexual reproduction appears also to limit gene flow and accentuate selection in this species.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bell G (1982) The masterpiece of nature: the evolution and genetics of sexuality. Croom Helm, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Connell JH (1973) Population ecology of reef-building corals. In: Jones OA, Endean R (ed) Biology and geology of coral reefs, vol 2: Biology I. Academic Press, New York London, pp 205–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Crisp DH (1976) The role of the pelagic larva. In: Spencer-Davis P (ed) Zoology. Pergamon Press, London, pp 145–155 (Perspectives in environmental biology, vol 1)

    Google Scholar 

  • Crow JF, Kimura M (1970) An introduction to population genetics theory. Harper & Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Curie-Cohen M (1982) Estimates of inbreeding in a natural population: a comparison of sampling properties. Genetics 100:339–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Dana TF (1975) Development of contemporary eastern Pacific reef corals. Mar Biol 33:355–374

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis BJ, DeMartini EE, McGee K (1981) Gene flow among populations of a teleost (Painted greenling, Oxylebius pictus) from Puget Sound to southern California. Mar Biol 65:17–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Doyle RW (1975) Settlement of planktonic larvae; a theory of habitat selection in varying environments. Am Nat 109:113–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Eanes WF, Koehn RK (1978) An analysis of genetic structure in the Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus L. Evolution 32:784–797

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartner-Kepkay KE, Zouros E, Dickie LM, Freeman KR (1983) Genetic differentiation in the face of gene flow: a study of mussel populations from a single Nova Scotian embayment. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 40:443–451

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert N (1973) Biometrical interpretation. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Glesener R, Tilman D (1978) Sexuality and the components of environmental uncertainty: clues from geographical parthenogenesis. Am Nat 112:659–673

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant WS, Milner GB, Krasnowski P, Utter FM (1980) Use of biochemical genetic variants for identification of Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) stocks in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 37:1236–1247

    Google Scholar 

  • Harriot V (1983) Reproductive seasonality, settlement, and postsettlement mortality of Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus), at Lizard Island. Coral Reefs 2:151–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Hedgecock D, Schleser RA, Nelson K (1976) Application of biochemical genetics to aquaculture. J Fish Res Board Can 53:1108–1119

    Google Scholar 

  • Highsmith RC (1982) Reproduction by fragmentation in corals. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 7:207–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson MS (1971) Adaptive lactate dehydrogenase variation in the crested blenny, Anoplarchus. Heredity 27:205–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson MS, Black R (1984) The Wahlund effect and the scale of geographical variation in an intertidal limpet, Siphonaria sp. Mar Biol 79:295–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Kimura M, Weiss WH (1964) The stepping-stone model of genetic structure and the decrease of genetic correlation with distance. Genetics 49:561–576

    Google Scholar 

  • Koehn RK, Turano FJ, Mitton JB (1973) Population genetics of marine pelecypods. II. Genetic differentiation in microhabitals of Modiolus demissus. Evolution 27:100–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Levinton JS, Suchanek TH (1978) Geographic variation, niche breadth and genetic differentiation at different geographic scales in the mussels Mytilus californianus and Medulis. Mar Biol 49:363–375

    Google Scholar 

  • Li CC (1969) Population subdivision with respect to multiple alleles. Ann Hum Genet 33:23–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Maynard Smith J (1978) The evolution of sex. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Nei M (1978) Estimation of average heterozygosity and genetic distance from a small number of individuals. Genetics 89:583–590

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson RG (1981) Recovery and recolonisation of coral reefs. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 4:105–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips BF (1981) The circulation of the southeastern Indian Ocean and the planktonic life cycle of the Western Rock Lobster. Oceanogr Mar Biol, Ann Rev 19:11–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson BJ (1982) Geographical distribution of electrophoretically detected protein variation in Australian commercial fishes. II. Western King Prawn, Penaeus latisulcatus Kishinouye. Aust J Mar Freshwater Res 33:933–937

    Google Scholar 

  • Richmond RH (1981) Energetic considerations in the dispersal of Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus) planulae. Proc 4th int Coral Reef Symp 2:153–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Rochford DJ (1969) Scasonal variations in the Indian Ocean along 110°E. I. Hydrological structure of the upper 500 metres. Aust J Mar Freshwater Res 20:1–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosen BR (1979) Introduction, modules, members and communities. In: Larwood G, Rosen BR (eds) Biology and systematics of colonial organisms. Academic Press, London New York, pp XIII-XXXV

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheltema RS (1978) On the relationship between dispersal of pelagic veliger larvae and the evolution of marine prosobranch gastropods. In: Battaglia B, Beardmore JA (eds) Marine organisms: genetics, ecology and evolution. Plenum Press, New York, pp 303–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegels S (1956) Non-parametric statistics for the behavioural sciences. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sneath PHA, Sokal RR (1973) Numerical taxonomy. Freeman, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Snedecor G, Irwin MR (1938) On the chi-square test for homogeneity. Iowa State J Sci 8:75–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoddart JA (1983) Asexual production of planulae in the coral Pocillopora damicornis; Mar Biol 76:279–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoddart JA (1984a) Genetic structure within populations of the coral Pocillopora damicornis. Mar Biol 75:81:19–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoddart JA (1984b) The genetical structure of populations of the coral Pocillopora damicornis. PhD thesis, University of Western Australia

  • Stoddart JA (1984) Biochemical genetics of Pocillopora damicornis in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. In: Jokiel PL, Richmond RH (eds) Population biology of coral reefs. Hawaii Inst Mar Biol, Tech Rep No 37

  • Williams GC (1975) Sex and evolution Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams GC, Koehn RK, Milton JB (1973) Genetic differentiation without isolation in the American eel, Anguilla rostrata. Evolution 27:192–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Winans GA (1980) Geographic variation in the milkfish Chanos chanos. I. Biochemical evidence. Evolution 34:558–574

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright S (1943) Isolation by distance. Genetics 28:114–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright S (1951) The genetic structure of populations. Ann Eugen 15:323–354

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright S (1978) Evolution of the genetics of populations, vol IV: Variability in natural populations. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. James A. Stoddart

    Present address: Australian Institute of Marine Science, P.M.B. No. 3, 4810, Townsville M.C., Queensland, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Western Australia, 6009, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

    James A. Stoddart

Authors
  1. James A. Stoddart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stoddart, J.A. Genetic differentiation amongst populations of the coral Pocillopora damicornis off southwestern Australia. Coral Reefs 3, 149–156 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00301959

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00301959

Keywords

Search

Navigation