Facts about Coral sexual reproduction
- 08
Coral sperm cells can survive in seawater for approximately 48 hours before losing viability, allowing gamete encounters across multiple tidal cycles during mass spawning events.
- 07
Some coral species practice internal fertilization where sperm enters the female polyp's gastrovascular cavity, resulting in higher reproductive success rates than external broadcast spawning.
- 06
External fertilization in broadcast-spawning corals occurs in the water column where sperm and eggs meet, with fertilization success rates reaching 80 percent when spawning is synchronized across multiple colonies.
- 05
Fertilized coral eggs develop a protective mucus coating within 24 hours after spawning, reducing predation rates on developing embryos by up to 90 percent.
- 04
Planula larvae from spawning corals can drift in ocean currents for up to 3 weeks before settling and metamorphosing into juvenile polyps.
- 03
Brooding corals like Porites species retain fertilized eggs internally for 2-3 months before releasing fully developed planula larvae rather than spawning free gametes.
- 02
Most coral species are hermaphrodites that produce both eggs and sperm, with individual polyps releasing gametes through their single mouth opening into surrounding seawater.
- 01
During the annual mass spawning events in the Great Barrier Reef, corals release millions of gametes simultaneously within a narrow 30-minute window following the full moon.