Spatial variation in the morphological traits of Pocillopora verrucosa along a depth gradient in Taiwan
Journal
PLOS ONE
Journal Volume
13
Journal Issue
8
Start Page
e0202586
ISSN
1932-6203
Date Issued
2018-08-17
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Medina, Mónica
Abstract
Pocillopora verrucosa is a widely distributed depth-generalist coral that presents plasticity in its skeletal macro-and microstructure in response to environmental gradients. Light and water movement, which covary with depth, are the main environmental drivers of morphological plasticity in this genus; however, assessing environmentally-induced plasticity may be confounded by the extent of interspecific variation in Pocillopora. We examine the morphology of 8 typed P. Verrucosa specimens collected along a depth gradient ranging from 7 to 45 meters and comprising 3 sites throughout Ludao, Taiwan. We measured 36 morphological characters, 14 which are novel, in 3 regions on the corallum-the apex, branch and base-in order to quantify their relationship to site and depth. We found significant correlation between depth and 19 morphological characters, notably branch verruca area, branch verruca height, base verruca spacing, base spinule length, and branch corallite area. 60% of microstructural characters and 25% of macrostructural characters showed a correlative relation to depth, suggesting that depth acclimatization is manifested primarily at the microstructural level. Canonical discriminant analysis of all morphometric characters by depth supports clustering into 3 groups: an overlapping 7m and 15m group, a 23-30m group, and a 38-45m group. Canonical discriminant analysis by site supports clustering into low-and high-current sites, differentiated primarily by branch septa width, base septa width, pre-terminal branch width, terminal branch maximum length, and terminal branch minimum length. We conclude that distinctive patterns of morphological variation in mesophotic specimens of P. Verrucosa could reflect the effects of abiotic parameters such as light and water flow. Elucidating the mechanisms behind the morphological changes that occur in response to environmental gradients can help clarify the role that physiological plasticity plays in the acclimatization of corals to the unique environmental settings of mesophotic coral ecosystems.
Subjects
Acclimatization
Animals
Anthozoa
Coral Reefs
Ecosystem
Phenotype
Taiwan
Water Movements
apex verruca area
Article
base septa width
base spinule length
base verruca spacing
branch corallite area
branch septa length
branch septa width
branch verruca area
branch verruca height
controlled study
coral
correlation analysis
correlation coefficient
discriminant analysis
environmental factor
geographic distribution
marine environment
morphological trait
multivariate analysis
nonhuman
physical parameters
Pocillopora verrucosa
preterminal branch width
quantitative analysis
regression analysis
structure analysis
temperature acclimatization
terminal branch maximum length
terminal branch minimum length
water flow
acclimatization
animal
coral reef
ecosystem
genetics
phenotype
physiology
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Type
journal article