Pocillopora capitata

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Pocillopora capitata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Scleractinia
Family: Pocilloporidae
Genus: Pocillopora
Species:
P. capitata
Binomial name
Pocillopora capitata
Verrill, 1864 [2]
Synonyms
  • Pocillopora palmataPalmer, 1928
  • Pocillopora porosaVerrill, 1870
  • Pocillopora robustaVerrill, 1870
Pocillopora capitata, commonly known as the cauliflower coral Poccillopora capitata.jpg
Pocillopora capitata, commonly known as the cauliflower coral

Pocillopora capitata, commonly known as the Cauliflower coral, is a principal hermatypic (or reef-building) coral found in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. [3] [4] [5] P. capitata is a colonial species of stony coral of the class Anthozoa, the order Scleractinia, and the family Pocilloporidae. [6] This species was first documented and described by Addison Emery Verrill in 1864. [7] P. capitata is threatened by many of the effects of climate change, including — but not limited to — increased temperatures that cause bleaching and hypoxic conditions.

Description and Morphology

The first known appearance of Pocillopora capitata in the fossil record occurred in the upper Pleistocene, approximately 0.126 million years ago.

As with all hermatypic corals, P. capitata is a benthic, substrate-attached, sessile marine species. [8] The species also exhibits bilateral symmetry, has an imperforate skeleton, and usually has brown tissue coloration. [9] [10] Colonies of P. capitata may take on the shape of either an irregular mound or an openly branched system, in which branches are tall and cylindrical in appearance before flattening out towards the tips. [9] [6] Polyps of corals belonging to the family Pocilloporidae are all known to have a corallite structure with twelve poorly developed septa. Individual polyps possess twelve small tentacles arranged in a ring around the mouth that may outstretch during the day for feeding purposes. Retraction of the tentacles will result in the appearance of a fine, dark ring around the edge of the corallite calice. The arrangement of the calices themselves is typically crowded, often so much so that adjacent calices will touch; this crowding tends to happen particularly at the tips of coral branches. [10] The verrucae — which are bumps of the sponge-like coenosteum that contain several corallites — of P. capitata are elongated but tend to exhibit irregular patterns of size and distribution across the coral’s branches. [11] [12]

Morphological intraspecific variation has been observed with regard to geographic distribution; for instance, whereas P. capitata of the Panamic region tend to possess small columella, P. capitata found in the waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands have much more pronounced columella and verrucae that give the coral branches a thorny appearance. [4] When P. capitata tissue is analyzed on a dry weight basis, it is found to be composed of approximately 34% lipids. [13]

Corallivory has been shown to have a significant impact upon the physical appearance of P. capitata, as branches of P. capitata will exhibit loss of verrucae and become swollen at the branch tips. However, studies which have transferred preyed-upon coral into corallivore-free aquarium habitats have demonstrated that recovery and return to normal growth is possible if the species is given several months of isolation from predators. [4]

Habitat and Geographic Distribution

The Pocillopora genus of corals generally dominates the coral reef ecosystems of the far Eastern Tropical Pacific, a region heavily impacted by the flow of the warm, eastward Equatorial Counter Current. [14] [12] P. capitata is found in the shallow foreshore zones of coral reefs of the subtropical Pacific, almost exclusively in the far east of the Pacific oceanic basin. Coordinate-wise, P. capitata ranges from 26°N to 5°S and from 115°E to 77°W. [9] P. capitata has been found to inhabit Panamà, Colombia — including the Gorgona islands — the Gulf of California, and Ecuador, including the offshore Galapagos archipelago (with the exceptions of Fernandina Island and Isabela Island). [5] [6] In the Mexican Central Pacific, P. capitata can be found dwelling amongst the La Boquita, Carrizales, and Tenacatita coral reefs. [15]

P. capitata can typically be found at depths between 0 and 40 meters below sea level; [9] however, in the Galapagos Islands, P. capitata typically inhabits depths ranging between 3 and 12 meters below the sea's surface. [4] Due to their preferred depth range and typical distribution within the foreshore region of coral reefs, P. capitata tends to experience high levels of wave exposure. As with most Scleractinian corals — which are defined by their obligatory symbiotic relationships with photosynthetic endosymbiont dinoflagellates of the order Symbiodiniaceae — P. capitata prefers marine habitat with low turbidity (e.g. clear water habitat). The water temperature of marine regions containing P. capitata typically ranges from around 22.3°C to around 26.8°C. [8]

Reproduction

As with many other members of the class Anthozoa, P. capitata may be either gonochoric or hermaphroditic. [9] Like other Scleractinian corals, P. capitata uses both asexual and sexual reproductive strategies, and has been known to generationally alternate between the two. [8] When reproducing, polyps will release mature gametes into the water column through the mouth from the coelenteron — the central body cavity of cnidarians.

Development and Early Life History

After fertilization has occurred and the zygote phase has been reached, individuals initiate their life cycles as planktonic planula larva, meaning that the larvae are free-swimming and possess multiple cilia that aid with such locomotion. [16] Metamorphosis of P. capitata includes development of morphological features such as the septa, tentacles, and pharynx, after which point the larva will settle aboral side down on the substrate of a coral reef and begin to develop into its adult form. [9]

Threats

Changes in marine ecosystems related to the effects of global climate change pose serious threats to P. capitata. Among these are ocean acidification and ocean hypoxia, both of which are causes of coral bleaching. Ocean acidification — which is a result of the absorption of excess atmospheric CO2 into the ocean and causes a decrease in the pH of the water — creates an intolerably harsh environment for corals. Cases of P. capitata bleaching have already been recorded. For instance, in the summer of 2004, 12% of the P. capitata on the island of La Boquita were observed to have suffered bleaching. [15] Global warming is also correlated with decreased levels of dissolved oxygen in the ocean, known as ocean hypoxia. As corals require oxygen for proper biological molecular functioning, they require a specific threshold of dissolved oxygen in the water to be maintained in order to survive, and suffer when oxygen levels fall below this threshold. Ocean warming has led to increased upwelling of oxygen-depleted water to surface regions, a trend that affects regions of the Eastern Pacific inhabited by P. capitata. The anoxic conditions created by this increased upwelling particularly threaten P. capitata individuals inhabiting lower depths of coral reef ecosystems, which are more directly impacted by this influx of anoxic water. [5]

As an important structural reef-building coral, the decline of P. capitata is also detrimental to the rich coral reef habitat it helps to create and the species that rely upon it.

Related Research Articles

<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">Mussidae</span> Family of corals

Mussidae is a family of stony coral in the order Scleractinia. Following a taxonomic revision in 2012, the family is now restricted to species found in the Atlantic Ocean, with Pacific species transferred to the new family Lobophylliidae. Many species are referred to as brain coral because their generally spheroid form and grooved surface resembles the convolutions of a brain.

<i>Pocillopora meandrina</i> Species of coral

Pocillopora meandrina, commonly known as Cauliflower coral, is a species of coral occurring in the Indo-Pacific and Pacific oceans. This coral lives in shallow reef environments.

<i>Pocillopora</i> Genus of corals

Pocillopora is a genus of stony corals in the family Pocilloporidae occurring in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are commonly called cauliflower corals and brush corals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocilloporidae</span> Family of corals

The Pocilloporidae are a family of stony corals in the order Scleractinia occurring in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

<i>Montipora capitata</i> Species of coral

Montipora capitata, commonly known as rice coral or pore coral, is a stony coral in the family Acroporidae. It is a reef building species and is found in tropical parts of the Pacific Ocean.

Pocillopora inflata is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It was first described by Peter William Glynn in 1999. It is found growing on coral reefs in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean but is nowhere abundant.

<i>Stylophora pistillata</i> Species of coral

Stylophora pistillata, commonly known as hood coral or smooth cauliflower coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region and is commonly used in scientific investigations.

<i>Pocillopora damicornis</i> Species of coral

Pocillopora damicornis, commonly known as the cauliflower coral or lace coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<i>Pocillopora verrucosa</i> Species of coral

Pocillopora verrucosa, commonly known as cauliflower coral, rasp coral, or knob-horned coral, is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

<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>Coelastrea aspera</i> Species of stony coral

Coelastrea aspera is a species of stony coral in the family Merulinidae. It is a colonial species native to the Indo-Pacific region where it occurs in shallow water. It was first described by the American zoologist Addison Emery Verrill in 1866 as Goniastrea aspera but it has since been determined that it should be in a different genus and its scientific name has been changed to Coelastrea aspera. This is a common species throughout much of its wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<i>Dactylotrochus</i> Genus of corals

Dactylotrochus is a genus of large polyp stony corals from the Red Sea and western Pacific Ocean. It is monotypic with a single species, Dactylotrochus cervicornis. It inhabits the deep sea and is believed to be azooxanthellate.

<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.

<i>Pocillopora elegans</i> Species of coral

Pocillopora elegans is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the western, central and eastern Pacific Ocean. It is susceptible to bleaching and various coral diseases and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it as a "vulnerable species".

Pocillopora fungiformis is a species of colonial stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to Madagascar. It is a mostly encrusting species and grows in patches up to 2 m (7 ft) across.

<i>Stylophora madagascarensis</i> Species of coral

Stylophora madagascarensis is a species of stony coral in the family Pocilloporidae. It is native to the tropical western Indian Ocean where it is confined to the coasts of Madagascar, growing in shallow water.

<i>Tubastraea faulkneri</i> Species of coral

Tubastraea faulkneri, common name Orange sun coral, is a species of large-polyp stony corals belonging to the family Dendrophylliidae. Other common names of this coral are Orange Cup Coral, Sun Coral, Orange Polyp Coral, Rose Sun Coral, Golden Cup Coral, Sun Flower Coral, and Tube Coral.

<i>Pavona varians</i> Species of coral

Pavona varians, also known by its common name corrugated coral, is a species from the genus Pavona. Pavona varians is a type of hermatypic coral commonly distributed across tropic environments. Distribution of the coral include the equatorial Indian and Pacific Ocean, and notably, not found in the Atlantic ocean. Pavona varians have also been found to be distributed as North as the sea of Japan, in the Red Sea, and islands off the Pacific coast of Columbia and Costa Rica. Pavona varians are typically found an average of 45 feet below water on vertical surfaces in turbid, nutrient rich, water. Specifically, Pavona varians are found between crevices of the reef crest habitats and back reef habitats, including lagoons.

References

  1. ↑ Hoeksema, B.W.; Rogers, A.; Quibilan, M.C. (2014). "Pocillopora capitata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T132958A54166425. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T132958A54166425.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ↑ van der Land, Jacob (2013). "Pocillopora capitata Verrill, 1864". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  3. ↑ “Pocillopora Capitata Verrill, 1864.” STRI Research Portal - Pocillopora Capitata, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, https://stricollections.org/stri/taxa/index.php?tid=32277&taxauthid=1&clid=0.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Glynn, Peter W.; Wellington, Gerard M. (1984). Corals and coral reefs of the Galápagos Islands. University of California Press. ISBN   0-520-04713-3. OCLC   461547907.
  5. 1 2 3 Castrillón-Cifuentes AL, Zapata FA, Giraldo A, Wild C. 2023. Spatiotemporal variability of oxygen concentration in coral reefs of Gorgona Island (Eastern Tropical Pacific) and its effect on the coral Pocillopora capitata. PeerJ 11:e14586 doi : 10.7717/peerj.14586
  6. 1 2 3 "Galapagos Species Checklist". Charles Darwin Foundation. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  7. ↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Pocillopora capitata Verrill, 1864". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  8. 1 2 3 “Pocillopora Capitata Verrill 1864.” EOL, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, https://eol.org/pages/45275997/data. 
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Pocillopora capitata". www.sealifebase.se. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  10. 1 2 M., Wood, Elizabeth (1983). Reef corals of the world : biology and field guide. T.F.H. Publications. ISBN   0-87666-809-0. OCLC   611127089.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Corals of the World". www.coralsoftheworld.org. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  12. 1 2 "Corals of the World". www.coralsoftheworld.org. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  13. ↑ Patton, J. S.; Abraham, S.; Benson, A. A. (1977-09-01). "Lipogenesis in the intact coral Pocillopora capitata and its isolated zooxanthellae: Evidence for a light-driven carbon cycle between symbiont and host". Marine Biology. 44 (3): 235–247. Bibcode:1977MarBi..44..235P. doi:10.1007/BF00387705. ISSN   1432-1793. S2CID   84211428.
  14. ↑ Norwood), Veron, J. E. N. (John Edward (1995). Corals in space and time : the biogeography and evolution of the Scleractinia. Comstock/Cornell. ISBN   0-8014-8263-1. OCLC   31133377.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. 1 2 Flores-Ramírez, Laura A.; Liñán-Cabello, Marco A. (2007-07-01). "Relationships among thermal stress, bleaching and oxidative damage in the hermatypic coral, Pocillopora capitata". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology. Fourth Special Issue of CBP dedicated to The Face of Latin American Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. 146 (1): 194–202. doi:10.1016/j.cbpc.2006.09.008. ISSN   1532-0456. PMID   17240200.
  16. ↑ "Planula | zoology | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-04-14.


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