BIOTIC Species Information for Leptopsammia pruvoti
Researched byAngus Jackson Data supplied byMarLIN
Refereed byPaul Tranter
General Biology
Growth formCylindrical
Radial
Feeding methodPredator
Passive suspension feeder
Mobility/MovementPermanent attachment
Environmental positionEpifaunal
Epilithic
Typical food typesZooplankton, organic particulates HabitAttached
BioturbatorNot relevant FlexibilityNone (< 10 degrees)
FragilityFragile SizeSmall-medium(3-10cm)
Height6 cm Growth Rate1.3 mm/year
Adult dispersal potentialNone DependencyIndependent
SociabilitySolitary
Toxic/Poisonous?No
General Biology Additional InformationYounger individuals have a round calice which becomes elliptical with age. The skeleton is porous. It is not known whether the species is hermaphroditic or gonochoristic. The size range applies to maximum height of the corallum. The longest diameter of the calyx is 17 mm. Growth rate has been observed to be very slow in aquarium specimens which are little fed and in same seawater for several months (2 mm across calice after 18 months) but can be fast if fed and in continuous seawater supply (to 10 mm across calice after one year. (Paul Tranter, pers. comm.). Typically found as solitary individuals but may occur as several corallia from the same base forming 'pseudocolonies': during culture experiments, if any of the tissue overlying the skeletal column was lost, there would eventually appear, over a matter of weeks, one or more small polyps which would eventually form part of the 'parent' skeleton and give the impression of a naturally formed colony (Paul Tranter, pers. comm.). Leptopsammia pruvoti is known to have the ability to control and possibly 'farm' the bacterial content of its coelenteric cavity (Herndl & Velimirov, 1985). These bacteria could be used as an additional food source. The horseshoe worm Phoronis hippocrepia and the fan worm Potamilla reniformis bore into the base of the skeleton of Leptopsammia pruvoti and the bivalve Hiatella arctica further enlarges these boreholes. Once bored, the skeleton is weakened and corals may be easily detached.
Biology References Manuel, 1988, Anonymous, 1999(f), Zibrowius, 1980, Herndl & Velimirov, 1985, Lacaze-Duthiers, 1897,
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