Pocilloporidae Family of Stony Corals
One Stony Coral of the Pocilloporidae Family can be found in this website:
Cauliflower Coral, Pocillopora elegans. A representative of the Pocilloporidae Family of Stony Corals.
Phylogeny: The Stony Corals of the Pocilloporidae Family, like hydroids, jellyfish and sea anemones are in the phylum Cnidaria. They are in the subphylum Anthozoa, the class Hexacorallia, the order Scleractinia, and the suborder Vacatina. The Pocilloporidae Family is one of twenty-five families in this suborder. The Pocilloporidae Family contains four genera and one hundred fifty-five species. The name Pocilloporidae comes from the Latin words meaning “small cup pored” and refers to the cup-like structure of the calices. Species in this Family are also commonly known as Pocilloporids.
Morphology: Stony Corals are reef-building corals that are distinct from soft corals or octocorals. Corals in the Pocilloporidae Family may be branching, columnar, encrusting, or finger-like. These corals are polymorphic, indicative that their growth forms may differ depending on habitat. They reside in tightly packed colonies with multiple generations building upon the skeletons of previous generations forming coral reefs; they are often the first, pioneering, corals to start growing on new substrate. Their polyps have radial symmetry, a hollow digestive cavity, and specialized stinging structures in the tentacles that surround the mouth. Their polyps have a flower-like appearance, with twelve stout, tapering tentacles, surrounding the central disk. There are twelve internal, radiating, lamellae showing through the disk. They produce a hard, calcareous skeleton. They may be brown, cream, pink or green in color.
Habitat and Distribution: Pocilloporid Corals require sunlight for survival and are found in shallow water, with only a few species exceeding depths greater than 45 m (150 feet). They grow on hard substrates such as buoys, pilings, rocks and wreckage. Pocilloporid Corals are found worldwide in tropical seas. They are the second most prolific reef-building coral, after the Acroporidae Family, in these waters. At least seven species from this family are found in Mexican waters.
Reproduction: Pocilloporid Coral colonies are hermaphroditic (having male a female reproductive organs). Reproduction can be asexual, through fragmentation, budding or parthenogenesis. Reproduction may also be sexual. Sexual reproduction involves broadcast spawning, with internal fertilization. The eggs hatch into planktonic planulae larvae, which settle on an appropriate substrate, where asexual reproduction begins. Secondary polyps are formed, which develop to adult polyps.
Ecosystem Roles: Stony Corals are zooxanthellate that have a symbiotic relationship with single-cell dinoflagellates, known as zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae live within certain coral polyps, jellyfish, nudibranchs and sea anemones. The zooxanthellae produce energy, during daylight, by means of photosynthesis. This energy is passed along to their hosts, sometimes providing up to 90% of the host’s total energy needs. In return, the host provides nutrients, carbon dioxide, and a secure, sunlit, platform for the zooxanthellae. During periods of chemical or thermal stress the corals can eject the zooxanthellae, to reduce metabolic stress changing the color of the coral to white, a process known as coral bleaching. Coral bleaching can be an indicator of an unhealthy environment, or a natural response to a short-term condition such as El Niño. The coral can absorb zooxanthellae after the stress is resolved, or it can acquire a different species of zooxanthellae that is better accommodated to the new environment. In either case, the polyp risks starvation if it is unable to replace the zooxanthellae quickly. Pocilloporidae Corals supplement the energy provided by zooxanthellae by using their tentacles to capture amphipods and other plankton from the surrounding water. The tentacles then pass the food to the mouth. Because these polyps are very ridged and cannot change location, they are found in areas where moving water, caused by wave action or current, brings them food. Stony Corals are preyed upon by crabs, fish, gastropods, polychaete worms and starfish. Pocilloporid coral provide very significant habitat to multiple fish and invertebrate species. These corals are frequently damaged by being covered by sediment or by being handled or stepped on by snorkelers, divers, or other beach goers.