Colony size as a species character in massive reef corals

Abstract

In a study of seven massive, Caribbean corals, I have found major differences in reproductive behavior between species with large maximum colony sizes and species with smaller maximum colony sizes. Four species (Diploria clivosa, D. strigosa, Montastrea cavernosa, Siderastrea siderea) which are large ( 100 cm2, except M. cavernosa). In contrast, two small massive species (<100 cm2, Favia fragum and S. radians), and one medium-sized (100–1000 cm2, Porites astreoides) massive species, brood larvae during an extended season (year-round in Panama). The puberty size of the small species is only 2–4 cm2. Given these close associations between maximum colony sizes and a number of fundamental reproductive attributes, greater attention should be given to the colony size distributions of different species of reef corals in nature, since many important life history and population characters may be inferred.