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Distribution and Sexual Reproduction of a Seagrass-bed-inhabiting Actiniarian, Phymanthus strandesi (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Phymanthidae), at Hsiao-Liuchiu Island, Taiwan

2001; Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica; Volume: 40; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

1810-522X

Ming-Doun Lin, Allen Chao-Lun Chen, Lee-Sing Fang,

Marine and coastal plant biology

Distribution and sexual reproduction of the seagrass-inhabiting actiniarian, Phymanthus strandesi, was investigated at Gerban, Hsiao-Liuchiu, Taiwan from July 1997 to June 1998. P. strandesi was distributed in the shallow intertidal zone of the reef flats with a mean density of 511 individuals/m^2. The distribution pattern of P. strandesi was contagious, and was significantly correlated with the presence of the seagrasses, Thalassia hemprichii and Halodule uninervis. P. strandesi is a small dioecious actiniarian with a mean pedal disc diameter of 0.32 cm. A high proportion of the anemones were sexually indeterminate, whose sizes were significantly smaller than those of both males and females. The mean fecundity of females was 294 eggs/individual. The released eggs were 500 to 560 μm in diameter. Gametogenesis examined by paraffin section showed no distinct developmental pattern among monthly samples, suggesting that P. strandesi might reproduce continuously throughout the year. Although with a small body size and low fecundity, the large eggs, continual gametogenesis, and contagious aggregation in the seagrass bed might ensure the successful sexual reproduction of P. strandesi.