Lasker Howard R, Boller Michael L, Castanaro John, Sánchez Juan Armando
Department of Biological Sciences, 109 Cooke Hall, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Buffalo, New York 14260.
Biol Bull. 2003 Dec;205(3):319-30. doi: 10.2307/1543295.
Growth rates of branches of colonies of the gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae were monitored for 2 years on a reef at San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Images of 261 colonies were made at 6-month intervals and colony and branch growth analyzed. Branch growth rates differed between colonies and between the time intervals in which the measurements were made. Colonies developed a plumelike morphology through a pattern of branch origination and determinate growth in which branch growth rates were greatest at the time the branch originated and branches seldom grew beyond a length of 8 cm. A small number of branches had greater growth rates, did not stop growing, and were sites for the origination of subsequent "generations" of branches. The rate of branch origination decreased with each generation of branching, and branch growth rates were lower on larger colonies, leading to determinate colony growth. Although colonial invertebrates like P. elisabethae grow through the addition of polyps, branches behave as modules with determinate growth. Colony form and size is generated by the iterative addition of branches.
在巴哈马圣萨尔瓦多岛的一个珊瑚礁上，对柳珊瑚Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae群体分支的生长速率进行了为期两年的监测。每隔6个月对261个群体进行拍照，并分析群体和分支的生长情况。不同群体之间以及进行测量的不同时间间隔之间，分支生长速率存在差异。群体通过分支起源和有限生长模式形成羽状形态，其中分支在起源时生长速率最大，且分支很少生长超过8厘米。少数分支具有更高的生长速率，不会停止生长，并且是后续“代”分支起源的部位。随着每一代分支的产生，分支起源速率下降，且较大群体上的分支生长速率较低，导致群体生长有限。尽管像P. elisabethae这样的群体无脊椎动物通过添加息肉来生长，但分支表现为具有有限生长的模块。群体的形态和大小是通过分支的迭代添加而产生的。
