High regenerative capacity is a general feature within colonial dendrophylliid corals (Anthozoa, Scleractinia)

Pereira Luz, Bruna Louise, Miller, David, and Kitahara, Marcelo Visentini (2021) High regenerative capacity is a general feature within colonial dendrophylliid corals (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 336 (3). pp. 281-292.

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Abstract

The regenerative capacity of cnidarians plays an essential role in the maintenance and restoration of coral reef ecosystems by allowing faster recovery from disturbances and more efficient small-scale dispersal. However, in the case of invasive species, this property may contribute to their dispersal and success in nonnative habitats. Given that four Indo-Pacific members of the coral genus Tubastraea have invaded the Atlantic, here we evaluated the ability of three of these species (Tubastraea coccinea, Tubastraea diaphana, and Tubastraea micranthus) to regenerate from fragments of undifferentiated coral tissue to fully functional polyps in response to differences in food supply and fragment size. For comparative purposes, another colonial dendrophylliid (Dendrophyllia sp.) was included in the analyses. All dendrophylliids displayed regenerative ability and high survival rates that were independent of whether or not food was supplied or fragment size. However, regeneration rates varied between species and were influenced by fragment size. Temporal expression of key genes of the regenerative process (Wnt and FGF) was profiled during whole-body regeneration of T. coccinea, suggesting a remarkable regenerative ability of T. coccinea that points to its potential use as a laboratory model for the investigation of regeneration in colonial calcified anthozoans.

Item ID: 66080
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1552-5015
Keywords: dendrophylliidae, fragmentation, invasive species, regeneration, scleractinia, Tubastraea coccinea
Copyright Information: © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Funders: Australian Research Council (ARC)
Projects and Grants: ARC CE14100020
Date Deposited: 17 Feb 2021 18:10
FoR Codes: 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 100%
SEO Codes: 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180503 Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in marine environments @ 100%
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