Acropora Growth Patterns - difference after a few months in a new tank

[RMc]

Hi all,

Grabbed this coral from Dong almost a year ago (large frag tank, ~9alk, 430CA?, wave motion from Jebao wavemakers)

Now on the side of a tank (med light) (t5+led hybrid with more violet than previous system) very high water movement (lamilar flow from Maxspect Gyre) - 7 Alk. Color has remained similar, but the growth pattern is very different.

Any idea what causes the very different growth patterns? Smooth vs Spikey (extension of skeleton below each corallite). Is this mostly due to water flow? (higher flow = more spikiness)

Best,
Rob

 

[fanaglethebagle]

I don't know for sure but two reasons might be:

1) To slow down the water flow closer to the coral to increase the potential capture of food by polyps

or

2) To increase light intake by increasing surface area

Once again, I don't know for sure but these are two hypothesis that somebody could experiment with.


Andrew

 

[thomb]

Interesting read.
Touches on the change in growth pattern as a strategy for post fragging survival. Obviously we're talking different species of Acropora but...

"quickly establishing upward growth leading to the adult
morphology is very important as the arboreal shape may confer an advantage in
competition for light"

"However, the
early structural changes that take place during the transition from a relatively flat
fragment to the complex tree-like structure typical of an adult A. palniutci are
largely unknown"

https://www.researchgate.net/profil...l_Recruits/links/571aac1f08ae6eb94d0c7e96.pdf

Getting a frag to stay in place is for us the #1 factor to prevent mortality.

 

[RMc]

Interesting read - thank you for the link!

The rapid growth of "solitary proto-branches" after fragmentation sounds like it could be playing a role. Wonder if this is stimulated by the new conditions or if it's some chemical change that takes place after it breaks. This does seem like what's happening with my coral. I wonder if it were left to grow for a few years if it would return to the smoother branch structure with less aggressive growth of proto branches.

 

[RMc]

It seems like what might happen is that there will be a rapid development of tiny branches. A few of these small branches will find favorable conditions and will grow more rapidly than the others. The study indicates that the growth accelerated over the 4 years measured.