Goniopora fragged itself??? I kid you not!

[Runic]

Hello,

I brought home a green goniopora specimen about 4 months ago for my reef. 60 gallon, 85lbs LR, 80lbs LS, 2x 55w 10,000k PCs, 2x 55w actinics, CPR BakPak skimmer, using CoraLife salt.

I've always noticed that when my flowerpot expanded 4-5 inches either direction, I could see little bulbs close to the flesh that had mini polyps on them. Over the period of about 2 months, the polyps on the bulb and the bulb itself grew and grew and grew until today... 2 dropped off of the mother colony and is a small goniopora coral complete with skeleton and about 6-10 polyp arms and extending tall (1 inch)!

I kid you guys not, I have some pictures of them and I would like to post them. Could someone please give me some info on how to post pictures here? I'll do it once I'm done running around.

Has anyone seen this or have heard of it? Did my goniopora indeed reproduce? I know this coral has a bad history and is nearly impossible to keep thriving in captivity, but this is the reason I decided to try it... so I can see for myself. Any information would be appreciated!

[JT]

This is exactly how they reproduce.

- JT

[Northern Reef]

Originally posted by JT
This is exactly how they reproduce.

- JT

Yepper, and unfortunately it also doesn't guarantee long-term success. Here is a pic of a goniopora skeleton which you can see is/was in the process of budding as well.

http://www.reefcentral.com/northernreef/miscphotos/skeleton.jpg

[hcs3]

just a possibility, but....

the coral may have been doing exceptionally well in the wild, and has since experienced lesser than optimum water conditions (not knocking you at all, we don't know what these guys need). sensing this, it may be attempting to save it's genetic background by budding off before it's final demise :(

sorry for the buzz kill

henry

[Runic]

I didn't know they even did this in captivity. Neat stuff. I keep my water below par as far as skimming and carbon goes because I noticed all of my corals doing much much better. Who knows, maybe this goniopora may be a lucky strike. =) thanks for the info

[chris]

I think hcs3 is probably exactly right. I have seen 2 other posts like this where the mother coral started budding off. Then within a month or so all were dead.

Some corals do this, when they sense their impending demise they use their last bit of strength to produce buds.

c

[Planoi]

I also have my Goniopora in the process of budding off smaller ones. When I bought it over 6 months ago, it has one little bud attached to it. Now it has about 5-6 little bud on them. None of them has fallen off just yet, and the parent colony has grew about 30% bigger than when I had bought it(and it is becoming a PIA bothering my nearby corals)

I would have to disagree about using the last bit of strength to bud as a mean of saving itself. I have read an article by Dr. Shimek a while back, and it basically says that reproduction comes last - it will use its energy for food capturing, growing, etc. and if it has left over energy to spare, then it will reproduce.

Corals are intelligent, but sensing its demise and budding off to saves its genetic uniqeness? I don't know...

[hcs3]

yes, i read the same article. i also read a different article which expressed my theory. i'll post it if i can find it (no time right now).

but if it'll make you happy, we'll use your theory :)

the coral, reaching it's optimum food intake, started to divide in the wild. once inside the aquarium, it continues to divide. as you know from your reading, reproduction requires the most amount of energy. so, using up it's energy reserves from the wild to divide in captivity; can we assume it'll use it's reserves faster than it can take in the *unknown* element? in other words, killing itself while reproducing???

henry

[simonh]

You may want to read this thread in the other forum where I discussed my experiences of budding on my Goniopora (near the bottom of the thread):

http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=6795

I'm thinking that Ron was reffering to sexual reproduction with those comments rather than asexual? I have seen reports that Pocillopora performs polyp bail out when stressed. This is not the case with Goniopora, these are not just single jettisoned polyps. To develop sperm and eggs obviously requires alot of addtional energy. With forms of asexual reproduction it appears to me that it is simply a modified growth form built into the animal which allows some of the parts to detach. If the coral is gaining adequate nutrition and is growing then this will happen.

Some corals seem to just keep putting on mass, maybe by producing asexual offspring these corals have developed this stratergy to ensure it at least survives in competition for space? Saftey in numbers? Maybe by reproducing babies the parent colony is protected in the fight for space cause her babies are surrounding and fighting off the other corals (I assume the parent is immune from stings from its children) even if some babies get killed the mother is still OK? Sounds like I'm talking nonsense:) Maybe Biogeek can confirm I have just lost my mind:)

Current update on mine is that mother and babies are all well. The second baby is now detached and free living. Some of the others are now getting larger and will probably detach within 6 months. I can see further bumps developing in the skeleton which maybe more future offspring?



[Edited by simonh on 12-21-2000 at 10:48 AM]

[Coraldynamics]

My Gonopora has encrusted on a rock over the past several years and just recently I've propagated it by cutting off several golf ball sized chunks of it with wire cutters. Both the mother colony and the frags seem to be doing well.

Rick Arnholt
Coral Dynamics
http://www.coraldynamics.com

[chris]

Here is a theory, kind of goes along with simonh's last reply.

I have been told by a few people that if you put multiples of Gonipora right next to each other so that they can touch, in a tank. That they will survive forever. I was told by a guy that he has recommended this to several of his customers and every single one is still living.

Maybe the coral is trying to create this environment of several together by budding off? Maybe there is more to this multiple thing?

c

[simonh]

Hmmm. The keeping multiples theory seems to have taken on a life of its own:) I remember seeing this theory surface on the net awhile ago. As with most things on the Internet I am unsure how many people have actually done this and what the success rate is compared to keeping a single specimen. I can imagine some of my LFS been very quick to profer this advice to customers:)

My theory was more that it was an inbuilt behavior of the coral to drop babies as a method of survival by keeping away competitors. When put in an aquarium the coral continues to behave the same and produce babies. The behavior of dropping babies is inbuilt an inbuilt growth form which cannot be modified.

In an aquarium Goniopora doesn't normally have such competition as we allow space between them and other corals. IMO the keep 2 theory could result in more loss of these corals. If they have specific food requirements which we are only just now been able to supply through phytoplankton and copepod larve etc. in the sandbed then adding 2 would create greater strains on the food supplies leading to both gaining inadequate nutrition or one dieing and the other then able to survive.

[Northern Reef]

Originally posted by chris
Here is a theory, kind of goes along with simonh's last reply.

I have been told by a few people that if you put multiples of Gonipora right next to each other so that they can touch, in a tank. That they will survive forever.
c

Be a little careful about the "he said" theories. A lot of times they come from someone trying to sell you something. ;) Or, justify having them in his lfs.

I can tell you from personal experience that having goniopora touching is not a guarantee of success either.