Comparison of the reproductive status of the scleractinian coral Siderastrea stellata throughout a gradient of 20º of latitude

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Most studies on sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals in Brazil have been concentrated in a single population or in a small area (Pires et al., 1999; Francini et al., 2002; Neves & Pires, 2002; Pires & Caparelli, 2002; Pires et al., 2002; Lins-de-Barros et al., 2003). The present paper presents a comparison of the sexual reproductive status of six populations of the Brazilian scleractinian coral Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868. The six studied sites are distributed along a gradient of latitude of 20 in the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic Ocean, comprising areas throughout almost the whole species geographical distribution (Fig. 1).