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"Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands" (Environmental Sciences and Policy Management 107 and Integrative Biology 158) - Fall 2006.

Download the Paper (831 K, PDF file) - December 1, 2006 Tell a colleague about it. Printing Tips: Select 'print as image' in the Acrobat print dialog if you have trouble printing.

ABSTRACT:
Spirobranchus giganteus Pallas 1766 is an obligate associate of coral. This study focused on the distribution of five branchial crown colormorphs (Blue, Brown, Marigold, Purple, and White) on eight coral species (Acropora I, Acropora II, Porites I, Porites II, Porites III, Porites IV, Porites V, Porites VI) by quadrat sampling method. White was the most abundant colormorph, representing 24.0% of the total. Blue was the least abundant colormorph at 9.5% of the total. There were no significant differences in Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H’) of colormorphs between coral species. Also, relative colormorph abundance did not differ significantly between coral species or between the Front and Back positions. Only Blue and Marigold differed significantly in relative abundance between Top, Midde, and Bottom positions. Findings support a colormorph distribution of colormorphs. There are two possible explanations: 1) mortality and selection effects on distribution and 2) phenotypic plasticity, a combination of genetic and environmental factors contributing to the occurrence of certain phenotypes.

SUGGESTED CITATION:
Daniel S. Song, "Christmas Colors : Colormorph Distribution of Spirobranchus Giganteus Pallas 1766 on Moorea, French Polynesia" (December 1, 2006). Water Resources Center Archives. Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands (ESPM 107/IB 158). Paper song.
http://repositories.cdlib.org/wrca/moorea/song