Nutrition of the temperate Australian soft coral Capnella gaboensis. II: The role of zooxanthellae and feeding

The authors examined the ability of Capnella gaboensis Verseveldt, 1977 (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) to utilize heterotrophic food sources, and the importance of heterotrophic nutrition and photosynthesis in its diet, by using preserved material and histological sections of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine biology 1987-09, Vol.95 (4), p.575-581
Main Authors: FARRANT, P. A, BOROWITZKA, M. A, HINDE, R, KING, R. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Cnidaria. Ctenaria
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Invertebrates
Symbiodinium
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Summary:The authors examined the ability of Capnella gaboensis Verseveldt, 1977 (Coelenterata: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea: Nephtheidae) to utilize heterotrophic food sources, and the importance of heterotrophic nutrition and photosynthesis in its diet, by using preserved material and histological sections of field-collected specimens and by means of laboratory experiments in which coral branches were fed with super(14)C-labelled food of different sizes. The study was conducted from April 1982 to August 1984. C. gaboensis receives nutrition from the photosynthesis of its symbiotic zooxanthellae, Symbiodinium sp., and from heterotrophic sources. Up to 10% of the algal photosynthate was translocated to the animal-host tissues.
ISSN:0025-3162
1432-1793
DOI:10.1007/BF00393101