''Cycloseris curvata'' is a species of disc coral in the family
Fungiidae
The Fungiidae () are a family of Cnidaria, commonly known as mushroom corals or plate corals. The family contains thirteen extant genera. They range from solitary corals to colonial species. Some genera such as ''Cycloseris'' and ''Fungia'' ar ...
.
''Cyclosteris curvata'' is a mostly solitary free living
scleractinian disc coral found in the indo-pacific region. They grow on soft substrates and are known to tolerate turbid waters. Like other
anthozoan
Anthozoa is a subphylum of marine invertebrates which includes the sea anemones, stony corals and soft corals. Adult anthozoans are almost all attached to the seabed, while their larvae can disperse as part of the plankton. The basic unit of t ...
corals they lack a medusa stage characteristic of other cnidarians. They have been observed as both green and brown in color in the field.
Description
''Cylosersis curvata'' polyp structure is composed of strong arches which can be up to 90 millimeters in diameter. Characteristic of other
Anthozoans, they have a large
gastrovascular cavity
The gastrovascular cavity is the primary organ of digestion and circulation in two major animal phyla: the Coelenterates or cnidarians (including jellyfish and corals) and Platyhelminthes (flatworms). The cavity may be extensively branched into ...
which is divided into walls known as
septa
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
, which serve to increase interior surface area. In ''C. curvata'' they are generally thick and protrude outward. When viewed from above the septa appear to curve asymmetrically. ''C. curvata'' like other cnidarians have
nematocysts
A cnidocyte (also known as a cnidoblast or nematocyte) is an explosive cell containing one large secretory organelle called a cnidocyst (also known as a cnida () or nematocyst) that can deliver a sting to other organisms. The presence of this c ...
which are stinging tentacles that contain either a barbed or venomous coiled thread. This can be used in both self defense or to capture prey.
Body plan
Like other Cnidarians, they exhibit an oral-aboral body plan which is characterized by one side containing their mouth and the other without it. Additionally they exhibit
radial symmetry
Symmetry in biology refers to the symmetry observed in organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. External symmetry can be easily seen by just looking at an organism. For example, take the face of a human being which has a pla ...
meaning their body is symmetrical around a central axis.
Distribution
''Cycloseris curvata'' have been found in depths ranging from 0-30 meters
/sup>. They are widely distributed through tropical environments ranging from 32°N-31°S. And 32°E-77°W /sup>.
Life cycle
At the basis of their life cycle, their zygotes
A zygote (, ) is a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individual organism.
In multicellula ...
become planular planktonic
Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucia ...
larvae
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
. They continue through a series of metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...
forming tentacles, septa
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five coun ...
, and a pharynx
The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its struc ...
until they ultimately settle as a polyp /sup>. ''Cycloseris curvata'' have been found to inhabit soft benthic
The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "t ...
substrates in both inter-reef and reef environments. They can tolerate temperatures ranging from 22°C-27°C
Reproduction
Anthozoans are either gonochoristic
In biology, gonochorism is a sexual system where there are only two sexes and each individual organism is either male or female. The term gonochorism is usually applied in animal species, the vast majority of which are gonochoric.
Gonochorism c ...
or hermaphrodites
In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes.
Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have separ ...
. Germ cells
Germ or germs may refer to:
Science
* Germ (microorganism), an informal word for a pathogen
* Germ cell, cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually
* Germ layer, a primary layer of cells that forms during embr ...
originate in the endoderm
Endoderm is the innermost of the three primary germ layers in the very early embryo. The other two layers are the ectoderm (outside layer) and mesoderm (middle layer). Cells migrating inward along the archenteron form the inner layer of the gast ...
and are eventually moved to the gastrodermis The gastrodermis is the inner layer of cells that serves as a lining membrane of the gastrovascular cavity
The gastrovascular cavity is the primary organ of digestion and circulation in two major animal phyla: the Coelenterates or cnidarians (inc ...
where they will differentiate. Once the germ cells
Germ or germs may refer to:
Science
* Germ (microorganism), an informal word for a pathogen
* Germ cell, cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually
* Germ layer, a primary layer of cells that forms during embr ...
have matured they are released through the coelentron into the sea, as a result reproduction is external. In this process many gametes
A gamete (; , ultimately ) is a haploid cell that fuses with another haploid cell during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexually. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells, also referred to as sex cells. In species that produce t ...
are produced to increase likelihood of fertilization. /sup> They can also reproduce asexually through budding
Budding or blastogenesis is a type of asexual reproduction in which a new organism develops from an outgrowth or bud due to cell division at one particular site. For example, the small bulb-like projection coming out from the yeast cell is know ...
or fragmentation. /sup>
Behavior
Individuals feed by extending their tentacles and trapping small zooplankton
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...
through a process known as suspension feeding
Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...
. /sup> Larger cnidarians can catch fish and crabs with their nematocysts
A cnidocyte (also known as a cnidoblast or nematocyte) is an explosive cell containing one large secretory organelle called a cnidocyst (also known as a cnida () or nematocyst) that can deliver a sting to other organisms. The presence of this c ...
. /sup> Not much is known about their interactions with other species, however they seem to form symbiotic
Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...
relationships with photosynthetic
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored in c ...
symbionts
Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...
. /sup>
References
*
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13507538
Fungiidae
Cnidarians of the Indian Ocean
Cnidarians of the Pacific Ocean
Marine fauna of Oceania
Marine fauna of Southeast Asia
Animals described in 1870