Asexual Reproduction in Solitary Scleractinia

A compilation and reorgani of reproduction in Sclerca discussed, based on intrat tacular budding, and trans modes are recognized, incl newly described processes tial colony mortality, ase elaboration of the anthobl which solitary Scleractini emphasized, which include cidental fragmentation, pr and transverse division, asexual reproduction emplo analogs in the Actiniaria zation of asex tinia is prese entacular and verse division uding the rela of polyp bail xual planulae ast mode. Mod a produce clon accidental an oduction of an Some of the mo yed by Sclerac ual modes nted and extratenEleven tively out, parand an es by es are d nonacthoblasts, des of tinia have The possibility and extent of asexual reproduction in Scleractinia is of potential interest to the coral systematist, population biologist, and ecologist, since the sampling of potential clonemates would influence the results of an analysis based on the assumption of independent genotypes. Although not all modes of asexual reproduction are of supraspecific taxonomic value, some modes, such as transverse division, seem to represent key innovations that warrant the establishment of new genera, i.e., within Flabellum and Dendrophyllia. solitary corals (i.e, modes IBl are reviewed inc Although almost genera are exclu asexual reproduc complete severan clonopary, sensu to be rare and u 1956). Nonethel clonopary are no asexually reproduce clonemates 2, IID, III), however, all modes luding those of colonial corals, one-third of the scleractinian sively solitary (Wells, 1956), tion by solitaries leading to ce of connection of polyps Rosen 1986) is still considered nusual (Fadlallah, 1982; Wells, ess, many more examples of w known and discussed below. PREFACE Table 1 is a modification of Wells' (1956) discussion of asexual reproduction. It is difficult to determine and categorize the modes of asexual reproduction for all 846 valid genera of Scleractinia (Wells, 1956; Wells, 1986), the majority of which are exclusively fossil. Nonetheless, Table 1 is an attempt to list and organize the currently known modes. The term "method" refers to the four basic processes of asexual reproduction (main modes of Wells, 1956); "mode" refers to specific variation of a more general method.