Lets Talk About Sexual Reproduction!!!!

[bannshy]

I wonder if the swelling is caused by eating something. Then with the extra energy the main polyp can produce. I will have to take before and after pictures when feeding.

 

[Azurel]

haha your so right on the research, I think you will have a hard time finding a whole lot of research done on zoanthids in the wild much after 1990. Everything now seems to be focused on reef building corals, but rightfully so I guess...

Well if you think about it what's more important to spend the money on? A coral that can spread in the bottom of a bucket with a power head or a coral that builds the reefs we are losing? I know where my vote would be......I say keep up the observations and discussing them cause this will be the only way we gain any ground on these corals for the time being. The only research that I know of other then James Reimer on zoanthids and palys is being done on the palytoxin for medical and I am sure military reasons.....Which either one don't really help us find out why they tick do to the narrow based research....

 

[kerrysroxy]

good thread !

I had a question what about when you Acquire one polyp ? How would they produce sexually ? or do you think they take up asexuality unitl more polyps are formed ?

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

I have talked to 1 other hobbyists who say they see the "protruding" polyps in his tank also and the colony that shows these symptons is his fastest grower. Does anyone else see this happening in their tank?

 

[kerrysroxy]

I have talked to 1 other hobbyists who say they see the "protruding" polyps in his tank also and the colony that shows these symptons is his fastest grower. Does anyone else see this happening in their tank?

I had one polyp do this and it was not growing well ( literally 2 polyps) now I have at least 6 polyps but I am not sure if it has to do with it protruding, I have changed my lighting

 

[TyreeUM]

IMO zoanthids mostly just asexually reproduce in the home aquarium, whether there is one polyp or 40...successfully reproduce anyhow...

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

Here is an article talking about the sexes of zoanthids, gonads, reproduction cycles, etc.
Interesting stuff.
http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/38.3/333-343.pdf

This article talks about Asexual reproduction and Ramets(member of clone: a member of a collection of organisms, cells, or molecular segments clone that are genetically identical direct descendants of a single parent by asexual reproduction)...
http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?pid=S0122-97612007000100007&script=sci_arttext

As I have read thru more links than these, the same thing is researched. Size of colony matters, environmental conditions matter, and there is both asexual and sexual reproduction taking place, but no one is noting anything about what the polyps are doing.(ie: protruding). Studies have shown that there is male and female and hermaphroditic zoanthids, but did not give ways to identify them without cutting them open and viewing the gonads with microscopy.

It would be cool to identify females and males when purchasing frags.

 

[pakora]

Dont mean to tick anybody off by reviving such an old thread but I found this pretty interesting!

I took some photos today and noticed that mine are protruding. I dont know if anything has changed since this post but I'll keep a look out and see if anything happens.

 

[stoneroller]

Learning something new every day. I did now know that there are zoanthid genders and benders (herms). Here's another link to an abstract on proto and palythoa. This is just nuts. Next, someone needs to find info on the nervous system, maybe zoanthids have tiny brains... and feelings. OK, maybe not. lol

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1519-69842005000100006&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

Thanks for resurrecting the thread!!

 

[Mr.Firemouth]

Dont mean to tick anybody off by reviving such an old thread but I found this pretty interesting!

I took some photos today and noticed that mine are protruding. I dont know if anything has changed since this post but I'll keep a look out and see if anything happens.

Did the zoas that were swollen have a growth spurt?
Thanks

 

[naldopr]

interesting

 

[ddr_phish]

This is very interesting. Now I'm gonna have to go through and read all those articles..

Has anyone made any other observations?

This could very well explain why someone might have 1-2 polyps of a type of Zoa/Paly and never have them reproduce while all others in the tank are doing fine.

Extremely intriguing.