Topic
Millepora complanata
About: Millepora complanata is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 45 publications have been published within this topic receiving 632 citations. The topic is also known as: Fire coral.
Papers
TL;DR: Hard coral (Scleractinia and Milleporina) cover data were examined from 37 sites surveyed annually from 1996 to 2003 in the Florida reef tract, USA.
Abstract: Hard coral (Scleractinia and Milleporina) cover data were examined from 37 sites surveyed annually from 1996 to 2003 in the Florida reef tract, USA. Analyses of species numbers and total cover showed that site-to-site differences were generally very much greater than differences among times within sites. There were no significant differences among different geographical areas within the reef tract (Upper, Middle and Lower Keys). Large-scale changes documented included a reduction in species numbers and total cover on both deep and shallow offshore reefs between 1997 and 1999 followed by no recovery in cover, and only scant evidence of any recovery in species numbers by 2003. These changes coincided with bleaching events in 1997 and 1998, and the passage of Hurricane Georges through the Lower Keys in 1998. The lack of recovery among offshore reefs suggests that they were no longer resilient. Multivariate analyses revealed that some sites showed relatively little temporal variation in community composition, essentially random in direction, while others showed relatively large year-on-year changes. There was little evidence of any major region-wide changes affecting assemblage composition, or of any events that had impacted all of the sampling sites in any single year. Instead, different sites exhibited differing patterns of temporal variation, with certain sites displaying greater variation than others. Changes in community composition at some sites are interpreted in the light of knowledge of events at those sites and the relative sensitivities of species to various stressors, such as changes in cover of Acropora palmata and Millepora complanata at Sand Key following the bleaching events and hurricane in 1998, and declines in Montastraea annularis at Smith Shoal following a harmful algal bloom in 2002. For most sites, however, it is impossible to determine the causes of observed variation.
83 citations
TL;DR: It was concluded that heterotrophic feeding in M. complanata can potentially supply more than the daily energy requirements of the hydrocoral and may exceed feeding rates of scleractinian corals.
Abstract: Heterotrophy is examined in the hydrocoral Millepora complanata Lamarck and compared with scleractinian corals. Natural zooplankton catch rates and digestion rates were determined from counts of prey items captured by the gastrozooids on surfaces of millepore colonies collected in the field. The mean catch rate or feeding rate (+ SD) was 7.1 ? 4.10 prey items cm-2 surface d' and complete digestion of prey required about 24 h. Copepods comprised the bulk (63 %) of the diet. Based on the argument that measured catch rates of corals are highly variable because of plankton patchiness, and the assumption that millepore colonies with expanded zooids feed both day and night, a potential feeding or catch rate was derived from the mean number of gastrozooids on the colonies times the digestion rate. Daily food consumption estimated from the potential catch rates exceeded estimates of daily energy needed for respiration by a factor of 6.7. It was concluded that heterotrophic feeding in M. complanata can potentially supply more than the daily energy requirements of the hydrocoral and may exceed feeding rates of scleractinian corals.
44 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a new threat to coral health was found: a rather epizootic occurrence of other organisms overgrowing living coral, such as the red alga Metapeyssonnelia corallepida, as well as the brown alga Lobophora variegata.
Abstract: Coral reefs around Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, Central America were investigated in 1972 and reefs of the 10hn Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park off Key Largo, Florida in 1973. Both sites were resurveyed in 1997 and a new threat to coral health was found: a rather epizootic occurrence of other organisms overgrowing living coral. On the reef-flat of the Barrier Reef north of Carrie Bow Cay, there are fields of Acropora cervicornis and Porites porites, scattered over shallow sand-bottom. A large number of these corals show either "tufts" of blue-green algae, or filamentous "flags". Both may cover substantial portions of individual coralla; the living tissue disappeared at the of con tact area. Another type of overgrowth on living corals is represented by the red alga Metapeyssonnelia corallepida, as well as the brown alga Lobophora variegata. Both overgrow mainly Millepora complanata and Malcicornis, but a1so other corals with smooth surface, such as Porites porites and P. astreoides. This syndrome occurs about equally abundant around Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, and in reefs off Key Largo, Florida. A similar kind of tightly attached over growth is represented by the sponge Cliona caribbea. It was found regularly in the reefs around Carrie Bow Cay on a wide variety of coral species. An identical type of epizoism is represented by Chondrilla cf. nucula, which, so far, was observed only in Belize. All these new syndromes together amount to a considerable coral-degrading factor, which was not found in these reefs 25 years ago.
43 citations
1 Jan 1984
TL;DR: Comparisons are made of the surface structure, microstructure of the skeleton, structure of the ampullae coverings, size of the gastropores and dactylopores, and pore density in specimens of the four Millepora species occurring in the Caribbean region.
Abstract: In order to find characters in Millepora species with a higher diagnostic value than the growth form (on which species delimitation is hitherto based) a comparison is made of the surface structure, microstructure of the skeleton, structure of the ampullae coverings, size of the gastropores and dactylopores, and pore density in specimens of the four species occurring in the Caribbean region: Millepora alcicornis, M. complanata, M. squarrosa, and M. striata. While most characters are of little taxonomic value, pore sizes and densities are surprisingly useful. The species are diagnosed and some biogeographical remarks are given.
43 citations
TL;DR: The presence of larvae and juveniles occurring free in the burrows suggests that larval development may be completed within the host coral as an alternative or in addition to a planktonic larval phase.
Abstract: Dipolydora armata (Langerhans, 1880) is a small (4 to 5 mm) spionid polychaete found burrowing in the calcareous hydrozoan Millepora complanata Lamarck, 1816, on coral reefs at Barbados, West Indies. It excavates complex networks of interconnecting burrows and forms aggregations of worms in cavities within branches of the coral. Adult worms have a mixed feeding mode (suspension feeding and deposit feeding). Size–frequency distributions of worms in branch samples suggest that they mature in a single year and that reproduction occurs throughout the year. Burrow openings on the surface of the coral develop distinctive, erect spines caused by combined growth of worm tubes and host tissue. Millepore zooids were absent in the vicinity of tube openings and on spines, and thus the potential feeding surface of the coral will be reduced in heavily colonized branches. Burrows and openings were densest at the bases of millepore branches where weakening of the skeleton would be expected to occur. The absence of openings near the branch tips suggests difficulty in larval settlement there, amongst stinging zooids. Reproduction␣and larval development of the worms were examined, and a sequence of larval stages from one to 20 segments and a juvenile stage of 22 segments are described. Eggs are deposited in brood sacs attached to the burrow wall, and the larvae feed upon nurse eggs (adelphophagy). The presence of larvae and juveniles occurring free in the burrows suggests that larval development may be completed within the host coral as an alternative or in addition to a planktonic larval phase. Lack of provisional larval setae, early development of adult capillary setae, production of special spermatophores and a protracted breeding cycle in D. armata are all traits which would favour complete development within the host skeleton.
42 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
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| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2014 | 3 |