Sexual Reproduction of Two Reef Building Corals Seriatopora hystrix and Lobophyllia corymbosa in the Jeddah Coast of Red Sea

Yahya A. M. Floos¹, Abdulmohsin A. Al-Sofyani² and Talal A. Zari¹

1Department of Biology, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

2Department of Marine Biology, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arab

Corresponding Author E-mail: Yahya_floos2008@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT: Sexual reproduction of the scleractinian corals Seriatopora hystrix and Lobophyllia corymbosa was studied for a period of one year in Sharm Ubhur. They indicated that, S. hystrix is hermaphrodite brooders with internal fertilization and developing the larvae within their polyps. Whereas, the L. corymbosa is hermaphrodite broadcasters with external larval developing, hence embryos of the species are not observed in the histological examinations. The onset of reproductive period of S. hystrix was found to be limited (January to April). The number of eggs and testes observed in this period were also limited and the first planula larvae were observed in the March at temperature 27.42oC. In L. corymbosa, the gonads were found in the polyps throughout the year with two cycles of oogenesis and 1 cycle of spermatogenesis. The S. hystrix egg size was ranged from 158 µm (in January) to 241 µm (in April). The first visible size of eggs of L. corymbosa were observed in August (187.2 µm) and in April (689.96 µm). Zooxanthellae were presented in the mature oocytes in S. hystrix. While in L. corymbosa they were not found.

KEYWORDS:

Sexual reproduction; Reef Corals; Red Sea; Jeddah

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