REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE IN A ZOANTHID PALYTHOA TUBERCULOSA ESPER

Abstract

From the study on the reproductive cycle exhibited by thirteen colonies of P. tuberculosa a previous proposal by KIMURA et al. (1972) that this species is a protogynous hermaphrodite was confirmed. It was further elucidated that there are two types of hermaphroditic colonies, one with both functional female and hermaphroditic polyps along with functional males and the other with non-functional female and without hermaphroditic polyps. In addition the third type of colony, the male was also recognized. Among the three types of colonies, the first was regarded as the basic while the other two as derived from the first by a successive loss of the female phase.