Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY
Volume 44, Issue 1, Pages 81-88Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/09670260802343640
Keywords
Caulerpa taxifolia; invasive species; sexual reproduction; monoecy; gender expression; reproductive ecology
Categories
Funding
- National Heritage Trust ( Environment Australia)
- CSIRO
- Centre for Research on Introduced Marine Pests
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This paper provides the first detailed account of sexual reproduction in Caulerpa taxifolia, describing gametogenesis, sex ratios, periodicity of reproductive episodes and breeding system in C. taxifolia from Caloundra on the subtropical east Australian coast. Gametogenesis is similar to published accounts of the process in 11 other Caulerpa spp. Gender is reliably determined late in gametogenesis: mature dark-green male portions of fronds that release gametes without eyespots are distinguished from brownish-green female portions of fronds that release gametes with eyespots. Twenty-one reproductive episodes were observed for C. taxifolia during the 3.5-month fertile period, with peak reproductive activity occurring in February/March when 13 reproductive episodes were observed over a 36-day period. Caulerpa taxifolia is monoecious, but the Caloundra population showed marked variation in phenotypic gender expression during the fertile season, when various proportions of male plants, thalli with bisexual fronds and thalli with bisexual, unisexual male and/or female fronds were observed. Sex allocation in the Caloundra population was markedly male-biased throughout the fertile season with only male plants present, or with male plants dominating the population, for 13 and three reproductive episodes respectively. The implications of these observations are discussed in relation to the reported lack of sexual reproduction in the invasive Mediterranean populations of the species.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available