Some Scleractinian Corals of Special interest for Captive Sexual Reproduction
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Species |
General Sexual
Reproduction Information |
Captive Sexual
Reproductive Activity |
Other Notes: |
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Acroporidae |
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various Acropora sp. |
varies |
There are multiple reports of Acropora sp. releasing eggs (or possibly egg-sperm bundles). |
Unfortunately, most aquarists can’t ID their Acropora sp. colonies to species (or even genera). Thus, reports of captive spawning events within home aquariums often lack this information. |
Acropora brueggemanni
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brooding |
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Acropora cuneata |
brooding |
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Acropora formosa |
broadcast spawner, hermaphrodite |
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motile after 36 hours |
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Acropora microphthalma |
broadcast spawner, hermaphrodite |
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Acropora nobilis |
broadcast spawner, hermaphrodite |
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Acropora palmata* |
broadcast spawner |
Mote Marine Labs: coral has spawned in captivity, and formed larvae which settled in captivity SECORE: Eggs and sperm have been collected from the wild. Larvae were formed and settled in captivity with juveniles raised to adulthood. |
endangered species |
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Acropora valida |
broadcast spawner, hermaphrodite |
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Acropora yongei |
broadcast spawner, hermaphrodite |
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Montipora capitata |
broadcast spawner |
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Montipora digitata |
broadcast spawner, hermaphrodite |
There is at least one recorded case of egg release (could have been egg-sperm bundles) |
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Agariciidae |
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Agaricia agaricites* |
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Agaricia fragilis* |
brooding |
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Agaricia humilis* |
brooding |
These corals are known to have spawned multiple times at the Rotterdam Zoo, Rotterdam, The Netherlands |
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Agaricia tenuifolia* |
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Dendrophylliidae |
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various Tubastrea sp.
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brooding, probably hermaphroditic |
There are several reports of these corals spawning planulae in captive systems which settle and form recruits without aquarist assistance. |
Raising the recruits to mature colonies appears to be a challenge. |
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Tubastrea aurea |
brooding |
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Tubastraea coccinea |
brooding |
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Tubastrea diaphana |
brooding |
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Tubastrea faulkneri |
brooding |
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Euphyllidae |
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Catalaphyllia jardinei
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broadcast spawner, gonochorite |
There is at least one recorded case of egg-sperm bundle release. |
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Euphyllia sp. (“frogspawn”)
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brooding |
There is at least one report of coral releasing planulae. |
Planulae reportedly first appeared as pink round “balls” which became “worm-like” on the aquarium glass (northern TX, mid-November, 2007- reported to WWM). |
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Euphyllia parancora |
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There is at least one report of egg release from tentacles. |
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Euphyllia ancora |
broadcast spawner, gonochorite |
There are multiple reports of egg release from coral tentacles. |
eggs appear in the tentacles several hours before spawning |
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Euphyllia glabrescens Euphyllia rugosa |
brooding |
There is at least one recorded case of captive spawning. |
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Euphyllia divisa |
broadcast spawner, gonochorite |
There is at least one recorded case of male spawning. |
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Faviidae |
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Echinopora lamellosa
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broadcast spawner, hermaphrodite |
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Favia fragum |
brooding, hermaphrodite |
There are multiple reports of planulae release in closed/captive systems. |
Rotterdam Zoo reported having captive spawned recruits grow to adult colonies which started reproducing and formed an F2 generation of captive bred F. fragum corals. |
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nonspecific Favia sp. |
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There are several reports of egg or egg-sperm bundle release. |
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Fungiidae |
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Herpolitha limax
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broadcast spawner |
There are at least one report of a colony having spawned eggs twice in two years. |
It’s not clear if the coral spawned eggs, sperm or egg-sperm bundles. |
nonspecific Fungia sp.
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There are several reports of male spawning. |
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Fungia fungites
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broadcast spawner |
There is at least one recorded case of male spawning. |
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Polyphyllia talpina |
broadcast spawner |
There is at least one recorded case of male spawning. |
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Mussidae |
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Cynarina lacrymalis |
broadcast spawner |
There is a report of two episodes of egg (or egg-sperm bundle) release from the same coral colony (possibly stress induced). |
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Lobophyllia sp. |
broadcast spawner |
There is at least one report of egg release. |
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Oculinidae |
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Galaxea fascicularis
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broadcast spawn, possibly hermaphroditic |
There are at least two recorded cases of egg spawn. |
It's thought that some corals have only eggs which only serve to provide buoyancy for sperm packets |
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Galaxea horrescens |
brooding |
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Pectiniidae |
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Mycedium elephantotus |
broadcast spawner |
There is at least one recorded case of male spawning. |
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Plerogyra/Physogyra |
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Plerogyra sinuosa |
broadcast spawner |
There are at least two recorded cases of male spawning. |
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Pocilloporidae |
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Pocillopora damicornis
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brooding |
There are multiple documentations of complete sexual reproduction in captivity. |
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/3/aafeature2 |
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Stylophora pistillata |
brooding |
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Seriatopora caliendrum |
brooding |
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Seriatopora hystrix |
brooding |
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Poritidae |
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Alveopora daedalea
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brooding |
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Alveopora japonica |
brooding |
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Goniopora gigas |
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Porites astreoides* |
brooding, hermaphrodite |
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Porites attenuata |
brooding |
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Porites furcata* |
brooding |
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Porites heronensis |
brooding |
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Porites murrayensis75 |
brooding |
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Porites panamensis |
brooding |
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Porites porites* |
brooding |
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Porites stephensoni |
brooding |
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*CITES permit required unless hitch-hiked on live rock
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hermaphroditic broadcast spawning Pacific corals in the Acroporidae family |
hermaphroditic broadcast spawning Pacific corals in the Faviidae family |
gonochoric, broadcast spawning Pacific corals in the Caryophyludae
family |
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Acropora aspera Acropora austera Acropora cerealis Acropora cytherea Acropora divaricata Acropora florida Acropora formosa Acropora gemmifera Acropora grandis Acropora granulosa Acropora honida Acropora hwniIis Acropora hyacinthus Acropora latistella Acropora longicyathus Acropora loripes Acropora lutkeni Acropora micropthalma Acropora millepora Acropora nasuta Acropora nobilis Acropora pulchra Acropora robusta Acropora samoensis Acropora secale Acropora selago Acropora solitariensis Acropora tenuis Acropora valendennesi Acropora d. variabilis Acropora d. vaughani Acropora yongei Astreopora microphthalma Montipora foliosa Montipora hispida Montipora informis Montipora monasteriata Montipora spumosa Montipora tubercusa Montipora turgescens |
Australogyra zelli Barbattoia amicorum Caulastrea furcata Cyphastrea chalddium Cyphastrea micropthalma Cyphastrea serailia Echinopora gemmacea Echinopora horrida Favia favus Favia lizardensis Favia mathaii Favia doreyensis Favia rotumana Favia stelligera Favia veroni Favites abdita Favites bennettae Favites chinensis Favites complanata Favites flex.uosa Favites halicora Favites pentagona Favites russelli Goniastrea aspera Goniastrea edwardsi Goniastrea favulus Goniastrea favulus |
Catalaphyllia jarclineri Euphyllia ancora Euphyllia divisa Physogyra lichtensteini |
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gonochoric, broadcast spawning Pacific corals in the Dendrophyludae
family |
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Heteropsammia cochlea Heteropsammia
aequicostatus Turbinaria frondens Turbinaria renifonnis |
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Pacific Tubastrea faulkneri and Dendrophyllia sp. are gonochoric, brooding corals in the Dendrophyludae family. |
Species/Genus |
General Sexual
Reproduction Information |
Captive Sexual
Reproductive Activity |
Other Notes: |
Alcyoniidae |
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Sarcophyton glaucum |
broadcast spawner |
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spawns at night |
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Sacrophyton sp. |
broadcast spawner |
several reports of egg release |
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Sinularia sp. |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of eggs (or egg-sperm bundles) released |
spawned at night |
Clavulariidae |
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Briareum sp. or Pachyclavularia violacea
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broadcast spawner |
several reports of releases of egg-sperm bundles (might have bi-yearly spawning pattern) |
eggs are pink. Coral typically spawns during the late afternoon or early evening |
Order Gorgonacea |
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Psuedopterogorgia bipinnata |
broadcast spawner |
at least one report of egg release |
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Muriceopsis flavida |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of eggs (or egg-sperm bundles) released |
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Ricordeidae |
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Rhodactis indosinensis |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of eggs (or egg-sperm bundles) released |
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Amplexidiscus/Rhodactis sp. |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of male spawning |
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Discosoma/Actinodiscus sp. |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of eggs-sperm bundles released |
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Actinodiscus/Discosoma sp. |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of eggs release |
small blue eggs |
Xeniidae |
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nonspecific Xenia sp. |
broadcast spawner |
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Zoanthidea |
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Protopalythoa sp. |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of egg and sperm release |
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unknown Zoanthid species |
broadcast spawner |
at least one record of eggs released |
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