Reproduction in the Red Sea soft coral Heteroxenia fuscescens  : seasonality and long-term record (1991 to 1997)

Planulation periodicity, settlement preferences and growth of two deep-sea octocorals from the northwest Atlantic

“…However, investigations of reproductive patterns in deep-sea corals are fraught with difficulty, and knowledge about these remains embryonic at best. Studies of shallow-water corals have shown that they may undergo synchronous or asynchronous spawning, seasonal or so-called continuous reproduction, and lunar or shifted lunar spawnings, and that their patterns of sexual reproduction could be correlated to several factors, such as temperature, depth, and tidal, lunar and solar cycles (Jokiel & Guinther 1978, Stimson 1978, Benayahu & Loya 1983, 1984, Benayahu 1997, Ben-David-Zaslow et al 1999.…”

“…both the occurrences of planulation events and the number of planulae released peaked between September and December in colonies from the 2 depth ranges, whereas only the colonies from 500 m exhibited a second smaller peak in the spring. Seasonal patterns in planulation have been observed in shallow-water soft corals (Ben-David-Zaslow et al 1999). As a result of the logistical constraints associated with the study of deep-sea organisms, our study was conducted over a single year, using a relatively small number of colonies.…”

“…However, investigations of reproductive patterns in deep-sea corals are fraught with difficulty, and knowledge about these remains embryonic at best. Studies of shallow-water corals have shown that they may undergo synchronous or asynchronous spawning, seasonal or so-called continuous reproduction, and lunar or shifted lunar spawnings, and that their patterns of sexual reproduction could be correlated to several factors, such as temperature, depth, and tidal, lunar and solar cycles (Jokiel & Guinther 1978, Stimson 1978, Benayahu & Loya 1983, 1984, Benayahu 1997, Ben-David-Zaslow et al 1999.After release, larvae must recruit through settlement and metamorphosis. Settlement in benthic marine invertebrates is defined as the stage during which larvae leave the water column and come into definitive contact with the substratum, while metamorphosis is the physiological and morphological transformation into the juvenile stage (Rodriguez et al 1993).…”

Ultrastructural observations of the early and late stages of gorgonian coral (Junceella juncea) oocytes

“…Numerous studies have described the sexual reproduction of gorgonian corals such as Anthoplexaura dimorpha (Seo et al, 2008) and Plexaura flexuosa (Pakes and Woollacott, 2008) as well as the stony corals Stylophora pistillata (Rinkevich and Loya, 1979), Euphyllia ancora (Shikina et al, 2012), Caulastrea furcate, Lobophyllia corymbosa (Kawaroe et al, 2007) and Mussismilia hispida (Neves and Pires, 2002) and the soft coral Heteroxenia fuscescens (Ben- David-Zaslow et al, 1999;Benayahu et al, 1989). However, these studies focused on the sexuality, reproductive cycle, spawning and colony fecundity of corals, whereas coral developmental oogenesis has been investigated at a histological level (Simpson, 2009).…”

Sexual reproduction of soft coral, Scleronephthya gracillimum, (Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) based on long-term collection from Jejudo Island, Korea

“…The reproductive mode of soft corals varies among different family groups; gonochorism is generally dominant in soft coral species, although a few species are hermaphroditic (Sebens 1983;Benayahu et al 1990; usually synchronous and seasonal, although only a low level of synchrony is apparent in temperate species (Harrison et al 1984;Benayahu and Loya 1986;Harrison and Wallace 1990;Benayahu 1991;BenDavidZaslow et al 1999;Kapela and Lasker 1999;Cordes et al 2001;Schleyer et al 2004). …”