Reproduksi karang batu

REPRODUCTION OF THE STONY CORALS. Scleractinian corals have two types of reproduction.The fragmentation and colony formation are the asexual type of reproduction. Production of a new colony by fragmentation is type of reproduction to avoid the high mortality rate of larvae and juveniles. Fragmentation of the corals with high growth rate resulting the domination of certain reef zone and rapid recovery from disturbances. Scleractinian corals exhibit the simplest type of life cycle: a sesile sexual polyp sheds gametes into the sea water and the fertilized egg develops into a free swimming planula, which then attaches to suitable substrat and metamorphoses into young polyp. Scleractinian polyp are hermaphrodite, unisexual or sterile. In the reproduction of corals the gametogenesis and its development are variable. The number of ova per colony varied greatly among the species and was inversely to mature eggs size. Settling of the coral larvae is preceded by extensive substrat exploration. The breeding season for many reef corals generally connected with lunar periodicity, but some species breed almost continuosly during the year and the others have a prolonged annual season. Temperature and lunar periodicity are major regulating factors for reproduction cycle of the marine invertebrates.