Organ pipe coral

Last updated

Organ pipe coral
Tubipora musica Mayotte.jpg
Live organ pipe coral
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Octocorallia
Order: Alcyonacea
Family: Tubiporidae
Genus: Tubipora
Species:
T. musica
Binomial name
Tubipora musica
Synonyms
  • Tubipora purpureaPallas, 1766

The organ pipe coral (Tubipora musica) is an alcyonarian octocoral native to the waters of the Indian Ocean and the central and western regions of the Pacific Ocean. [1] It is the only known species of the genus Tubipora. This species is a soft coral but with a unique, hard skeleton of calcium carbonate that contains many organ pipe-like tubes. On each tube is a series of polyps which each have eight feather-like tentacles. These tentacles are usually extended during the day, but will swiftly withdraw with any sort of disturbance. The skeleton is a bright red color, but is typically obscured by numerous polyps. Because of this, living colonies are typically green, blue, or purple due to the color of the expanded polyps. [2] Colonies are typically dome-shaped and can reach up to 3 meters across, [2] [3] while the individual polyps are typically less than 3 mm wide and a few mm long. They are close relatives to other soft coral and sea fans. This species is a popular aquarium coral due to its ease to maintain, as well as higher tolerance compared to most true corals. [4] However, its popularity presents a problem: along with its potential as an aquarium coral, the species' coloration makes it a popular commodity for tourists, leading to a variety of threats to the population.

Contents

A living organ pipe coral colony Tubipora musica-organpipe-coral-4.jpg
A living organ pipe coral colony
An organ pipe coral skeleton showing its interconnected pipe and tube structure Vi - Tubipora musica - 4.jpg
An organ pipe coral skeleton showing its interconnected pipe and tube structure

Habitat

Organ pipe corals are restricted to shallow waters, and tend to live in sheltered areas where they eat plankton. Furthermore, it is usually found in habitats ranging from 2 to 20 m in depth. [1] [5] Notably, they have been found dominating bedrock and sandy grooves at 8 to 10 m, as well as mid-shelf reefs. [6] [5] They are also widely distributed, having been found in the west Pacific, south of Japan, west to Africa's East Coast, as well as throughout the Red Sea. [1] The species prefers good, bright light conditions, as well as medium to strong water currents and well oxygenated water. [1] [7] To be successful, they also require sufficient alkalinity and calcium. [4] Colonies of organ pipe corals are interconnected networks, consisting of many pipes and tubes joined together with parallel platforms. [2] Furthermore, the colonies are usually composed of polyps that are all one color, although some large colonies have been found to have a mixture. [2] When this occurs, there are usually obvious sections of specific colors in the colony; different colored polyps do not live interspersed with each other. [2]

Ecology

Organ pipe corals contain polyps that only live in the tops of the colony's tubes. [1] These polyps contain zooxanthellae, which are a symbiotic type of phytoplankton [1] that provide energy for the coral. Furthermore, the polyps also have eight feathery tentacles branching off, which are what give the colony its color. [1] These tentacles allow the corals to capture both prey and organic particles from the surrounding environment. [1] Although the species collects organic particles, also known as DOM (dissolved organic matter), the particles only meet 13% of the metabolic needs of the coral. [8] The corals' skeleton is made of calcium carbonate, and is a deep red color. [1] The coral is also known to interact with other animals, including two recently discovered copepods found in Madagascar. [9]

Colonial behavior

Organ pipe corals exhibit limited colonial behavior. The main action that they can do is reacting as a unified colony when one part of the colony is disturbed. [2] The corals exhibit a through-conducting response when disturbed, with a wave of activity sweeping across each part of a colony. [10] When two or more polyps are touched, others nearby will bend away or retract completely. The corals usually keep activity involving one polyp separate from the rest of the colony, but disturbance of one polyp can still cause the entire colony to retract when necessary. When the polyps retract, they do so in a wave that spreads across the colony away from the place where the coral was disturbed. The corals have been shown to respond to both electrical and mechanical stimulation in this manner. However, colonial behavior beyond this response is likely limited because the corals only have one conduction system.

Full corallum of Tubipora musica. Tubipora01.jpg
Full corallum of Tubipora musica.

Threats and human interaction

Organ pipe coral is listed as a near threatened species, with over 50% of the population being lost in the past 10 years. [1] [11] It has become popular with dealers, hobbyists, the medical community, and tourists over the years; this is because of its ability to be easily kept in aquariums, its high medical and scientific value, as well as its use in jewelry and other commodities. [1] [4] [12] [13] [14] Due to its popularity, it is also illegally harvested and smuggled, with one report showing that it is one of the fifteen most traded corals in the world. [15] [1] Observed colonies frequently show signs of being harvested and collected, providing a visual example of how the population is under intense pressure from overharvesting. [1] Subsequently, the most flourishing colonies are often found in areas with strong waves, likely due to the difficulty of collecting them in these areas. [1] Because of these problems, scientists are calling for increased protection for organ pipe corals, ranging from protected areas to awareness campaigns, as well as investigating the potential for farming these corals. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral</span> Marine invertebrates of the class Anthozoa

Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.

Anthozoa Class of cnidarians without a medusa stage

Anthozoa is a class of marine invertebrates which includes the sea anemones, stony corals and soft corals. Adult anthozoans are almost all attached to the seabed, while their larvae can disperse as part of the plankton. The basic unit of the adult is the polyp; this consists of a cylindrical column topped by a disc with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. Sea anemones are mostly solitary, but the majority of corals are colonial, being formed by the budding of new polyps from an original, founding individual. Colonies are strengthened by calcium carbonate and other materials and take various massive, plate-like, bushy or leafy forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black coral</span> Order of soft deep-water corals with chitin skeletons

Antipatharians, also known as black corals or thorn corals, are an order of soft deep-water corals. These corals can be recognized by their jet-black or dark brown chitin skeletons, surrounded by the polyps. Antipatharians are a cosmopolitan order, existing at nearly every location and depth, with the sole exception of brackish waters. However, they are most frequently found on continental slopes under 50 m (164 ft) deep. A black coral reproduces both sexually and asexually throughout its lifetime. Many black corals provide housing, shelter, food, and protection for other animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scleractinia</span> Order of Hexacorallia which produce a massive stony skeleton

Scleractinia, also called stony corals or hard corals, are marine animals in the phylum Cnidaria that build themselves a hard skeleton. The individual animals are known as polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral disc in which a mouth is fringed with tentacles. Although some species are solitary, most are colonial. The founding polyp settles and starts to secrete calcium carbonate to protect its soft body. Solitary corals can be as much as 25 cm (10 in) across but in colonial species the polyps are usually only a few millimetres in diameter. These polyps reproduce asexually by budding, but remain attached to each other, forming a multi-polyp colony of clones with a common skeleton, which may be up to several metres in diameter or height according to species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcyonacea</span> Order of octocorals that do not produce massive calcium carbonate skeletons

Alcyonacea, or soft corals, are an order of corals. In addition to the fleshy soft corals, the order Alcyonacea now contains all species previously known as "gorgonian corals", that produce a more or less hard skeleton, though quite different from "true" corals (Scleractinia). These can be found in suborders Holaxonia, Scleraxonia, and Stolonifera. They are sessile colonial cnidarians that are found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the deep sea, polar waters, tropics and subtropics. Common names for subsets of this order are sea fans and sea whips; others are similar to the sea pens of related order Pennatulacea. Individual tiny polyps form colonies that are normally erect, flattened, branching, and reminiscent of a fan. Others may be whiplike, bushy, or even encrusting. A colony can be several feet high and across, but only a few inches thick. They may be brightly coloured, often purple, red, or yellow. Photosynthetic gorgonians can be successfully kept in captive aquaria.

Octocorallia A class of Anthozoa with 8-fold symmetry

Octocorallia is a subclass of Anthozoa comprising around 3,000 species of water-based organisms formed of colonial polyps with 8-fold symmetry. It includes the blue coral, soft corals, sea pens, and gorgonians within three orders: Alcyonacea, Helioporacea, and Pennatulacea. These organisms have an internal skeleton secreted by mesoglea and polyps with eight tentacles and eight mesentaries. As with all Cnidarians these organisms have a complex life cycle including a motile phase when they are considered plankton and later characteristic sessile phase.

<i>Duncanopsammia</i> Genus of corals

Duncanopsammia is a monotypic genus of stony corals. It is represented by the single species, Duncanopsammia axifuga, commonly called whisker coral, duncanops coral, or simply duncan coral. Individual polyps are fairly large with round skeletal bases (corallites) 10–14 millimetres (0.39–0.55 in) in diameter and larger central discs from which multiple tentacles radiate; the polyps form a structure branching at irregular intervals to form a large colony.

Pulsating xenid Species of coral

The pulsating xenid is a species of soft coral in the family Xeniidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue coral</span> Species of octocoral which produces a massive stony skeleton

Blue coral is a species of colonial coral. It is the only octocoral known to produce a massive skeleton. This skeleton is formed of aragonite, similar to that of scleractinia. Individual polyps live in tubes within the skeleton and are connected by a thin layer of tissue over the outside of the skeleton.

<i>Phyllodesmium colemani</i> Species of gastropod

Phyllodesmium colemani is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.

<i>Leptogorgia virgulata</i> Species of coral

Leptogorgia virgulata, commonly known as the sea whip or colorful sea whip, is a species of soft coral in the family Gorgoniidae.

<i>Millepora alcicornis</i> Species of hydrozoan

Millepora alcicornis, or sea ginger, is a species of colonial fire coral with a calcareous skeleton. It is found on shallow water coral reefs in the tropical west Atlantic Ocean. It shows a variety of different morphologies depending on its location. It feeds on plankton and derives part of its energy requirements from microalgae found within its tissues. It is an important member of the reef building community and subject to the same threats as other corals. It can cause painful stings to unwary divers.

<i>Leptogorgia hebes</i> Species of coral

Leptogorgia hebes, commonly known as the regal sea fan or false sea fan, is a species of soft coral in the family Gorgoniidae. It was formerly included in the genus Lophogorgia but that genus has been dismantled.

<i>Eusmilia</i> Genus of corals

Eusmilia is a genus of stony coral in the family Meandrinidae. It is a monotypic genus represented by the species Eusmilia fastigiata, commonly known as the smooth flower coral. It is found on reefs in the Caribbean Sea.

<i>Dipsastraea speciosa</i> Species of coral

Dipsastraea speciosa is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Merulinidae. It is found in tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans.

<i>Paramuricea clavata</i> Species of coral

Paramuricea clavata, the violescent sea-whip, is a species of colonial soft coral in the family Plexauridae. It is found in shallow seas of the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the north-western Mediterranean Sea as well as Ionian Sea. This species was first described by the French naturalist Antoine Risso in 1826.

Pseudoplexaura porosa, commonly known as the porous sea rod or the porous false plexaura, is a species of gorgonian-type colonial octocoral in the family Plexauridae. It is native to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

Carijoa riisei, the snowflake coral or branched pipe coral, is a species of soft coral in the family Clavulariidae. It was originally thought to have been native to the tropical western Atlantic Ocean and subsequently spread to other areas of the world such as Hawaii and the greater tropical Pacific, where it is regarded as an invasive species. The notion that it is native to the tropical western Atlantic was perpetuated from the fact that the type specimen, described by Duchassaing & Michelotti in 1860, was collected from the US Virgin Islands. It has subsequently been shown through molecular evidence that it is more likely that the species is in fact native to the Indo-Pacific and subsequently spread to the western tropical Atlantic most likely as a hull fouling species prior to its original description.

<i>Seriatopora hystrix</i> Species of coral

Seriatopora hystrix is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It forms a branching clump and is commonly known as thin birdsnest coral. It grows in shallow water on fore-reef slopes or in sheltered lagoons, the type locality being the Red Sea. It is native to East Africa, the Red Sea and the western Indo-Pacific region. It is a common species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euphylliidae</span> Family of marine coral known as Euphylliidae

Euphylliidae are known as a family of polyped stony corals under the order Scleractinia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Ammar, Mohammed S. A. (2005-05-26). "An alarming threat to the red organ pipe coral Tubipora musica and suggested solutions". Ecological Research. 20 (5): 529–535. doi:10.1007/s11284-005-0064-7. ISSN   0912-3814. S2CID   44760888.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ANDERSON, PETER A. V. (June 1976). "THE ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY OF THE ORGAN-PIPE CORAL, TUBIPORA MUSICA". The Biological Bulletin. 150 (3): 337–347. doi:10.2307/1540676. ISSN   0006-3185. JSTOR   1540676. PMID   8160.
  3. ↑ Felix., Spiro, Baruch (1971). Ultrastructure and chemistry of the skeleton of Tubipora musica Linné. OCLC   633208230.
  4. 1 2 3 Tullock, John (2001). Natural reef aquariums : simplified approaches to creating living saltwater microcosms. TFH-Microcosm. ISBN   1-890087-00-9. OCLC   1011858098.
  5. 1 2 Fabricius, Katharina (2001). Soft corals and sea fans : a comprehensive guide to the tropical shallow water genera of the central-west Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Australian Institute of Marine Science. OCLC   679405393.
  6. ↑ Pinca, S (2002). Biodiversity, ecology and conservation study in Rongelab. pp. 84–100.
  7. ↑ Borneman, Eric (2009). Aquarium corals : selection, husbandry, and natural history. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN   978-1-890087-47-0. OCLC   1058717796.
  8. ↑ Sorokin, YI (1991). "Biomass, metabolic rates and feeding of some common reef zoantharians and octocorals". Marine and Freshwater Research. 42 (6): 729. doi:10.1071/mf9910729. ISSN   1323-1650.
  9. ↑ Kim, Il‐Hoi (January 2004). "Two new species of siphonostomatoid copepods (crustacea) associated with the stoloniferan coraltubipora musica(Linnaeus) from Madagascar". Korean Journal of Biological Sciences. 8 (3): 187–196. doi: 10.1080/12265071.2004.9647750 . ISSN   1226-5071. S2CID   85434417.
  10. ↑ Adrian., Horridge, George (1957). The co-ordination of the protective retraction of coral polyps. Royal Society. OCLC   253743344.
  11. ↑ Programme., International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Red List (2000). IUCN red list of threatened species. IUCN. ISBN   2-00-123407-4. OCLC   46824197.
  12. ↑ Duh, Chang-Yih; Chen, Kuan-Jen; El-Gamal, Ali Ali H.; Dai, Chang-Feng (November 2001). "Sesquiterpenes from the Formosan StoloniferTubiporamusica". Journal of Natural Products. 64 (11): 1430–1433. doi:10.1021/np010228f. ISSN   0163-3864. PMID   11720526.
  13. ↑ BLAY, G.; CARDONA, L.; GARCIA, B.; PEDRO, J. R.; SANCHEZ, J. J. (2010-08-04). "ChemInform Abstract: Stereoselective Synthesis of 8,12-Furanoeudesmanes from Santonin. Absolute Stereochemistry of Natural Furanoeudesma-1,3-diene and Tubipofurane". ChemInform. 27 (39): no. doi:10.1002/chin.199639215. ISSN   0931-7597.
  14. ↑ Karacan, Ipek; Gunduz, Oguzhan; Ozyegin, L. Sevgi; Gökce, Hasan; Ben-Nissan, Besim; Akyol, Sibel; Oktar, Faik N. (2017-11-07). "The natural nano-bioceramic powder production from organ pipe red coral (Tubipora musica) by a simple chemical conversion method". Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society. 54 (2): 317–329. doi:10.1007/s41779-017-0156-1. ISSN   2510-1560. S2CID   104106934.
  15. ↑ Green, G, ed. (1999). WCMC biodiversity series no. 10. The global trade in corals. Cambridge, UK: World Conservation.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.