Скачать или смотреть Sex Reversal in a Fungiid Coral, Sandalolitha robusta

Finally archiving observations of a Sandalolitha robusta (Fungiidae) coral that has been at the Waikiki Aquarium for 33 years (as of 2015). I collected this coral in Palau in June 1982. I collected a second specimen from the same area in 1990.

In 1992 we observed the Sandalolitha spawning. The larger, older coral (in this video) produced eggs and did so every year thereafter - except in 1998 when it produced sperm! We thought it may have permanently changed sex, which is not uncommon among marine animals, but we were even more surprised in 1999 when it once again produced eggs!

Spawning occurs in April, but also in May and June (in the Aquarium). All spawning took place between 7:30 - 8:30am. These corals are still alive at the Waikiki Aquarium but no follow-up observations have been made in the past 15 years. Perhaps they still spawn in April, but we do not know at this moment. Maybe some early morning employee will want to keep watch on this exhibit next April, May and June???

These scenes were all taken at the Waikiki Aquarium. Voices in the last scenes are Dr. Cindy Hunter and me (Bruce Carlson). Thanks to Marj Awai and Charles Delbeek who managed this exhibit during the early years when these observations were made.

[taxonomy:binomial=Sandalolitha robusta]