BIOTIC

BIOTIC Species Information for Leptopsammia pruvoti
All Taxonomy Biology Distribution Reproduction

Researched by	Angus Jackson	Data supplied by	MarLIN
Refereed by	Paul Tranter
General Biology
Growth form	Cylindrical Radial	Feeding method	Predator Passive suspension feeder
Mobility/Movement	Permanent attachment	Environmental position	Epifaunal Epilithic
Typical food types	Zooplankton, organic particulates	Habit	Attached
Bioturbator	Not relevant	Flexibility	None (< 10 degrees)
Fragility	Fragile	Size	Small-medium(3-10cm)
Height	6 cm	Growth Rate	1.3 mm/year
Adult dispersal potential	None	Dependency	Independent
Sociability	Solitary
Toxic/Poisonous?	No
General Biology Additional Information	Younger 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,