Diploria strigosa
Diploria strigosa
Overview
Comprehensive Description
“Colonies form smoothly contoured plates to hemispherical domes, up to 1.8 m in diameter. The surfaces of the colonies have long valleys, which are often connected and usually convoluted, except near the colony's edge. Ridges evenly rounded, usually without a top groove, although occasionally with an extremely fine groove, especially near the colony's edge. The costae between adjacent corallites are continuous, and all costae are equal in thickness. Valleys are highly convoluted and often interconnected (Symmetrical brain coral” (Diploria strigosa).
Color- Green to brown, bluish gray and yellow- brown
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Ecology and Distribution
Distribution
D. strigosa is very common on the reefs of the Bahamas, Carribean, and Bermuda (Evans).
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Habitat
Inhabit many marine environments, down to 40 m (Symmetrical brain coral (Diploria strigosa).
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Reproduction
D. strigosa reproduces sexually by a process called gametogenisis. They can also reproduce asexually by fragmentation. Moreover, they are hermaphrodites they are able to produce both male and female gametes. "D. strigosa uses the broadcast spawning method of fertilization; this is when the sperm and eggs combine in the water column or at the surface as opposed to brooding where fertilization occurs within the maternal polyp" (Evans, Wood, and Zeeh). Studies have shown that D. strigosas' spawning season occurs for a short time in mid August and spawning mainly occurs at night. Temperatures for peak fertilization are between 25 to 29 degrees Celsius and if the temperatures rise over 30 degrees Celsius larval developmental problems begin to occur" (Evans).
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