Howells E J, Abrego D, Vaughan G O, Burt J A
Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Natural Science and Public Health, Zayed University, PO Box 144534, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Sci Rep. 2014 Dec 15;4:7484. doi: 10.1038/srep07484.
Despite a wealth of information on sexual reproduction in scleractinian corals, there are regional gaps in reproductive records. In the Gulf of the Oman in the Arabian Sea, reproductive timing was assessed in four common species of broadcast spawning corals using field surveys of gamete maturity and aquarium observations of spawning activity. The appearance of mature gametes within the same month for Acropora downingi, A. hemprichii, Cyphastrea microphthalma and Platygyra daedalea (≥ 75% of colonies, n = 848) indicated a synchronous and multi-specific spawning season. Based on gamete disappearance and direct observations, spawning predominantly occurred during April in 2013 (75-100% of colonies) and May in 2014 (77-94% of colonies). The difference in spawning months between survey years was most likely explained by sea temperature and the timing of lunar cycles during late-stage gametogenesis. These reproductive records are consistent with a latitudinal gradient in peak broadcast spawning activity at reefs in the northwestern Indian Ocean which occurs early in the year at low latitudes (January to March) and progressively later in the year at mid (March to May) and high (June to September) latitudes.
尽管关于石珊瑚有性生殖的信息丰富，但生殖记录仍存在区域空白。在阿拉伯海的阿曼湾，通过对配子成熟度的实地调查以及对产卵活动的水族箱观察，评估了四种常见的散播产卵珊瑚的生殖时间。唐恩鹿角珊瑚、亨氏鹿角珊瑚、微孔杯形珊瑚和大蜂巢珊瑚在同一个月内出现成熟配子（≥75%的群体，n = 848），这表明存在一个同步且多物种的产卵季节。根据配子消失情况和直接观察，产卵主要发生在2013年4月（75 - 100%的群体）和2014年5月（77 - 94%的群体）。调查年份之间产卵月份的差异很可能是由配子发生后期的海水温度和月相周期时间造成的。这些生殖记录与印度洋西北部珊瑚礁散播产卵活动高峰期的纬度梯度一致，在低纬度地区（1月至3月）发生在年初，在中纬度地区（3月至5月）和高纬度地区（6月至9月）则逐渐推迟到当年晚些时候。
