Biol. Bull. Sign up for etocs!
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lasker, H. R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Lasker, H. R.
Right arrow Articles by Kim, K.

The Biological Bulletin, Vol 190, Issue 1 45-55, Copyright © 1996 by Marine Biological Laboratory

ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

In situ Rates of Fertilization Among Broadcast Spawning Gorgonian Corals

H. R. Lasker, D. A. Brazeau, J. Calderon, M. A. Coffroth, R. Coma and K. Kim
Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260

Fertilization rates among marine benthic taxa have implicitly been assumed to be uniformly high in most analyses of life history evolution, but in situ fertilization rates during natural spawning events are rarely measured. Fertilization rates of the Caribbean gorgonians Plexaura kuna and Pseudoplexaura porosa were measured at a site in the San Blas Islands, Panama, by collecting eggs downstream of colonies during synchronous spawning events during the summer months in the years 1988-1994. Eggs collected by divers were incubated, and the proportion of eggs that developed was determined. Proportions of eggs developing suggest fertilization rates that vary from 0% to 100%. Monthly means ranged from 0% to 60.4%. Failure of gametes to develop can be attributed to sperm limitation, as eggs collected during spawning had higher fertilization rates if incubated with an excess of sperm. Plexaura kuna fertilization rates were highest during the July spawning events. Fertilization of Plexaura kuna eggs was usually lower during the first two nights of the 4-6 night spawning event. The proportion of eggs being fertilized when collected from a given place and time was highly variable, with one peak in the frequency distribution at or below 20% fertilization, and a second group of samples with greater fertilization rates. High variance in fertilization rates is evident at all levels of analysis: between replicate samples, times within nights, and among nights and months. This variance can be attributed to a combination of the effects of heterogeneity in the water column as gametes are diluted, spawning behavior of the gorgonians, and the current regime. Fertilization rates are often low and may represent a limiting step in recruitment during some years. Low fertilization rates may also be an important component of the life history evolution of these species.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Biol. Bull.Home page
G. S. Farley
Helical Nature of Sperm Swimming Affects the Fit of Fertilization-Kinetics Models to Empirical Data
Biol. Bull., August 1, 2002; 203(1): 51 - 57.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Behav EcolHome page
C. W. Petersen, R. R. Warner, D. Y. Shapiro, and A. Marconato
Components of fertilization success in the bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum
Behav. Ecol., March 1, 2001; 12(2): 237 - 245.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1996 by the Marine Biological Laboratory.