Phenological and morphological variations in the Mediterranean orange coral Astroides calycularis between two distant localities

[EN] This adaptation text reproduces chapter I of the dissertation “Results”: Estudio genético de la estructura poblacional y conectividad de dos corales endémicos del Mediterráneo: Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766) y Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767)= Genetic assessment of population structure and connectivity in two endemic Mediterranean corals: Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766) and Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767), of P. Casado-Amezúa (2012). http://hdl.handle.net/10261/134913[ES] Este artículo es una adaptación del capítulo I de “Resultados” de la tesis doctoral: Estudio genético de la estructura poblacional y conectividad de dos corales endémicos del Mediterráneo: Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766) y Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767)= Genetic assessment of population structure and connectivity in two endemic Mediterranean corals: Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766) and Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767), of P. Casado-Amezúa (2012). http://hdl.handle.net/10261/134913[EN] Studies of intraspecific variation in the presence of different environmental features are essential to improving the knowledge of species population dynamics and structure. Astroides calycularis is an azooxanthellate scleractinian coral commonly found in shallow rocky habitats of the southwestern Mediterranean Sea. This study compares the fertilization period of two coral populations located in dis- tantly separated localities; one in an upwelling area off the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, and the other on the southwestern coasts of Italy. Colony morphology varied between localities, the former having massive-shaped morphology with densely crowded polyps, the latter having bush-shaped morphology and separated polyps. These differences are possibly due to the different hydrodynamic conditions of their respective habitats. Gonochorism and planula brooding as sexual patterns and conditions of the coral coincide at both sites, but a delay in the timing of fertilization and planulation of the southern Iberian Peninsula population was observed, probably linked to a shift in the time at which seawater reaches its maximum temperature at each site.[ES] Estudios acerca de la variación intraespecífica en la presencia de diferentes características ambientales son esenciales para mejorar el conocimiento de la dinámica de las poblaciones. La temperatura superficial del agua (SST por sus siglas en inglés) juega un papel fundamental en el período de maduración gonadal de los corales escleractinios. Astroides calycularis es un coral escleractinio azooxanthelados que se encuentran comúnmente en hábitats rocosos poco profundos del suroeste del mar Mediterráneo. Este estudio compara el periodo de maduración gonadal del coral entre dos localidades distantes con diferentes SST, una en la costa sur de la Península Ibérica (promedio de SST 20,4 ± 1,8 º C), y la otra en la costa suroeste de Italia (promedio de SST 21,5 ± 1,9 º C). La colonias presentaban morfologías diferentes entre localidaes, las colonias colectadas en la primera localidad presentaban una morfología “masiva” (i.e. colonias con gran densidad de pólipos), mientras que en la localidad de Italia las colonias mostraban una morfología “ramificada” (i.e. pólipos separados en el interior de las colonias). y los pólipos separados. Estas diferencias se deben posiblemente a las diferentes condiciones hidrodinámicas de sus respectivos hábitats. Gonocorismo e incubación de la plánula como condición y patrón sexual del coral coincidíeron en ambas localidades, pero en relación a los aspectos cuantitativos de la gametogénesis, se observó un retraso en la maduración gonadal y planulación de la población del sur de la Península Ibérica con respecto a la del suroeste del mar Tirreno, ligado al periodo en el que el agua alcanza el máximo de temperatura anual en ambas áreas.P. Casado-Amezua was funded by a grant from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC).S. Goffredo was funded by the European Research Council (CoralWarm, ERC grant agreement n ◦ 249930).This study was supported by grants from Scuba Nitrox Safety International, the Association of Italian Tour Operators, the Ministry of Tourism of Egypt, Project AWARE Foundation and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CTM2008-00496/MAR).Peer reviewe

Phenological and morphological variations in the Mediterranean orange coral Astroides calycularis between two distant localities

Studies of intraspecific variation in the presence of different environmental features are essential to improving the knowledge of species population dynamics and structure. Astroides calycularis is an azooxanthellate scleractinian coral commonly found in shallow rocky habitats of the southwestern Mediterranean Sea. This study compares the fertilization period of two coral populations located in distantly separated localities; one in an upwelling area off the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, and the other on the southwestern coasts of Italy. Colony morphology varied between localities, the former having massive-shaped morphology with densely crowded polyps, the latter having bush-shaped morphology and separated polyps. These differences are possibly due to the different hydrodynamic conditions of their respective habitats. Gonochorism and planula brooding as sexual patterns and conditions of the coral coincide at both sites, but a delay in the timing of fertilization and planulation of the southern Iberian Peninsula population was observed, probably linked to a shift in the time at which seawater reaches its maximum temperature at each site