Sakai Yusuke, Yamamoto Hiromi H, Maruyama Shinichiro
Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
Okinawa Churashima Foundation Research Institute, Okinawa 905-0206, Japan.
R Soc Open Sci. 2024 May 29;11(5):240183. doi: 10.1098/rsos.240183. eCollection 2024 May.
Aligning spawning timing with seasonal environmental changes is critical for both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. However, mechanisms to regulate reproductive activity in response to environmental factors are not well understood, partly owing to the technical difficulty in maintaining detailed long-term observational data of the reproductive activities in the same population across years. In this study, we present an application of the aquarium system to examine the long-term spawning properties of corals. Spawning records over a 15-year period at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium revealed that the spawning timing of corals in aquarium tanks aligned well with that of wild corals from a neighbouring reef. Using the aquarium population as a model, we investigated the relationship between key environmental factors and the timing of the first and peak spawning dates of corals during a 15-year period. The results suggest that the spawning window of each spawning season is largely influenced by the water temperature and that the timing of peak spawning can be fine-tuned in response to environmental fluctuations. This behavioural feature can prevent synchronous spawning events during unfavourable environmental conditions and increase long-term reproductive reliability.
使产卵时间与季节性环境变化同步，对陆生和水生生物都至关重要。然而，响应环境因素调节生殖活动的机制尚未得到充分理解，部分原因是多年来难以在同一群体中维持详细的生殖活动长期观测数据。在本研究中，我们展示了水族箱系统在研究珊瑚长期产卵特性方面的应用。冲绳美丽海水族馆15年的产卵记录显示，水族箱中珊瑚的产卵时间与相邻珊瑚礁野生珊瑚的产卵时间高度吻合。以水族箱中的珊瑚群体为模型，我们研究了15年间关键环境因素与珊瑚首次产卵和产卵高峰期时间之间的关系。结果表明，每个产卵季节的产卵窗口在很大程度上受水温影响，并且产卵高峰期的时间可以根据环境波动进行微调。这种行为特征可以防止在不利环境条件下发生同步产卵事件，并提高长期生殖可靠性。
