Biology 2483A Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Alpheidae, Symbiodinium, Microphyte
3 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
Introduction symbiotic micro-algae called symbiodinium (and often referred to as zooxanthellae). Dark little micro algae through the ectodermis of the animal. Atoll is a desert that is loaded with solar panels. Microalgae are the solar panels of the system. Cessile animal on the benthos or fixed to the benthos. Even though it"s fixed (it has a larval and dispersal stage) Has a mouth and a gut, soft tissue that resides on calcium carbonate skeleton (endoskeleton) All species considered hard corals have these endosymbiotic microalgae. Even though they look similar they are different species. Very concentrated, 30-100 thousand within a centimetre cubed of tissue! Pic shows above mesoglea (layer in between the endoderm and the ectoderm) little golf balls packed in, these are symbiodinium. They can be free living though if they are released the algae can be free living, swimming around.
