Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity
The presence of the cosmopolitan deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula has recently been documented in the Red Sea, occurring in warm (>20 °C), oxygen- and nutrient-limited habitats. We collected colonies of this species from the central Red Sea that successfully resided in aquaria for more than o...
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PeerJ Inc.
2015-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/734.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797418546874023936 |
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| author | Anna Roik Till Röthig Cornelia Roder Paul J. Müller Christian R. Voolstra |
| author_facet | Anna Roik Till Röthig Cornelia Roder Paul J. Müller Christian R. Voolstra |
| author_sort | Anna Roik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The presence of the cosmopolitan deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula has recently been documented in the Red Sea, occurring in warm (>20 °C), oxygen- and nutrient-limited habitats. We collected colonies of this species from the central Red Sea that successfully resided in aquaria for more than one year. During this period the corals were exposed to increased oxygen levels and nutrition ad libitum unlike in their natural habitat. Specimens of long-term reared E. fistula colonies were incubated for 24 h and calcification (G) as well as respiration rates (R) were measured. In comparison to on-board measurements of G and R rates on freshly collected specimens, we found that G was increased while R was decreased. E. fistula shows extensive tissue growth and polyp proliferation in aquaculture and can be kept at conditions that notably differ from its natural habitat. Its ability to cope with rapid and prolonged changes in regard to prevailing environmental conditions indicates a wide physiological plasticity. This may explain in part the cosmopolitan distribution of this species and emphasizes its value as a deep-sea coral model to study mechanisms of acclimation and adaptation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:34:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aaa13d6ca1f2471f9d56a4d22878bc12 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:34:25Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-aaa13d6ca1f2471f9d56a4d22878bc122023-12-03T11:00:34ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592015-01-013e73410.7717/peerj.734734Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticityAnna Roik0Till Röthig1Cornelia Roder2Paul J. Müller3Christian R. Voolstra4Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi ArabiaCoastal and Marine Resources Core Lab, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi ArabiaRed Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi ArabiaThe presence of the cosmopolitan deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula has recently been documented in the Red Sea, occurring in warm (>20 °C), oxygen- and nutrient-limited habitats. We collected colonies of this species from the central Red Sea that successfully resided in aquaria for more than one year. During this period the corals were exposed to increased oxygen levels and nutrition ad libitum unlike in their natural habitat. Specimens of long-term reared E. fistula colonies were incubated for 24 h and calcification (G) as well as respiration rates (R) were measured. In comparison to on-board measurements of G and R rates on freshly collected specimens, we found that G was increased while R was decreased. E. fistula shows extensive tissue growth and polyp proliferation in aquaculture and can be kept at conditions that notably differ from its natural habitat. Its ability to cope with rapid and prolonged changes in regard to prevailing environmental conditions indicates a wide physiological plasticity. This may explain in part the cosmopolitan distribution of this species and emphasizes its value as a deep-sea coral model to study mechanisms of acclimation and adaptation.https://peerj.com/articles/734.pdfCoral reefRed SeaCoral rearingPhenotypic plasticity Eguchipsammia fistula Deep-sea coral |
| spellingShingle | Anna Roik Till Röthig Cornelia Roder Paul J. Müller Christian R. Voolstra Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity PeerJ Coral reef Red Sea Coral rearing Phenotypic plasticity Eguchipsammia fistula Deep-sea coral |
| title | Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity |
| title_full | Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity |
| title_fullStr | Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity |
| title_short | Captive rearing of the deep-sea coral Eguchipsammia fistula from the Red Sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity |
| title_sort | captive rearing of the deep sea coral eguchipsammia fistula from the red sea demonstrates remarkable physiological plasticity |
| topic | Coral reef Red Sea Coral rearing Phenotypic plasticity Eguchipsammia fistula Deep-sea coral |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/734.pdf |
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