The evolution of mating systems in tropical reef corals

Area of Science:

• Marine Biology
• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Tropical reef corals (Scleractinia) are simultaneous hermaphrodites, possessing traits that favor inbreeding.
• These traits include simultaneous hermaphroditism and philopatric larval dispersal (planktonic or demersal).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mating systems of tropical reef corals.
• To understand the factors influencing inbreeding and outbreeding in sessile marine organisms.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of coral species with different larval dispersal potentials.
• Review of recent studies on self-fertilization rates in hermaphrodite coral species.

Main Results:

• Hermaphrodite coral species with broad dispersal potential are largely self-incompatible.
• Species with limited dispersal potential exhibit high, albeit variable, rates of self-fertilization.

Conclusions:

• Interspecific variation in coral mating systems mirrors patterns observed in terrestrial plants.
• Understanding these variations offers insights into the evolution of inbreeding and outbreeding in sessile organisms.