Torch coral asexual reproduction

[Sharan Guna]

Hi guys,

so i actually did a post on this on my tank thread but decided that people who are not necessarily interested in my tank may be interested in this so i copied the post here. Please do read and leave your comments

hi guys,

So, much of what im writing here is just my hypothesis. Once again, someone can help me confirm or correct my conception of this.

Anyway, the crux of the matter to be discussed is actually the ways in which the torch coral spawns or rather reproduces. I have seen videos on the internet on how the torch coral spawns with little spores being released from the tips of the torch coral. However, i have observed something very different yet spectacular with my torch which is the asexual reproduction of torch corals.

While i was shifting some corals in my friend's tank last year, i dropped one of his torches against the liverock. Later, i noticed that one of the tips had been torn of and was lodged nicely on the liverock. I decided not to remove it. I noticed in the following days that the florescent property of the tip had not left as i had expected. I had expected the tip to just dissolve away without a body. And what happened in the following months left me gaping in shock. That little tip grew grew onto the rock and slowly, a whole new torch emerged from that 1 tip! I didnt believe that this really happened.

Fastforward to 2015 and to my tank, i have found myself repeating this 'experiment' in my own tank. AND TO MY SURPRISE!!!! i am noticing history repeating itself. As i was setting up my new tank earlier, i once again managed to get a tip lodged on a rock. I left it there and BAM! it began to germinate. The green dot that you see on the second picture grew a white centre around the green dot. And a new tip that dropped on a rock today. The third pic is the new tip.I also am going to show u guys the mother colony. This will be interesting to track as well so im gonna keep you guys updated!

Attached Thumbnails

• http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/monthly_02_2015/post-23468-0-96534400-1423913161.jpg
• http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/monthly_02_2015/post-23468-0-22890600-1423913388.jpg
• http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/uploads/monthly_02_2015/post-23468-0-06444500-1423913642.jpg

[Sharan Guna]

hi guys,

decided to do a little update here. I have decided to do more replicates of the above experiment by planting more 'seeds' on my rocks and see how each grows. i will be documenting this on a weekly basis.

At present, i have planted 3 new seeds on the rocks. 2 seeds on the same rock as the initial seed and 1 on a separate rock. I will be posting pictures on these. Do note, that the florescence observed from the recently obtained seeds are similar in colour to the one that is already germinating.

Day 1

Seeds were obtained by sucking the tips of my euphyllia glabrescens and cutting the tip off with a pair of scissors.

The seeds have been placed on the liverock surface and have wedged into a nice little crevice. Approximately 3 mintues after they were placed in the crevices, successful adhesion to the liverock has been observed.

[fishcake]

Hi Hipporider, this is very interesting. please keep us updated!

[Sharan Guna]

Hi Hipporider, this is very interesting. please keep us updated!

Hi bro, thanks for the support. Will definitely keep everyone updated on this!

[tec]

Bro hipporider if ur experiment successed ,could like to buy the 'seed' from u.

[Sharan Guna]

Bro hipporider if ur experiment successed ,could like to buy the 'seed' from u.

Bro, if my experiment succeed, everyone will have so many seeds because every tip of everyone's torch can make a new torch. Like that torch become free loh!!! ahahaha.

i can give you all the seeds you want...FOR FREE!

[Sharan Guna]

Hi guys,

so i just can't rest without trying to do something with this idea of mine. So i decided to take as clear and as close a picture of my oldest "seed" . And remarkably, what seems to be the mouth and and little baby arms seem to be visualized. Enjoy this picture guys.

[Sharan Guna]

so... i discover this...can get phD? just kidding....

[Zhi Long Oh]

Wow. This is interesting!!

[Sharan Guna]

Wow. This is interesting!!

Thanks bro!

[Firestarter]

Hi Bro, it is certainly interesting, but not uncommon. I ever experienced this myself. But the 'budding' died before it grew out. Others were lost inside the rocks due to water flow. This phenomenon also includes hammer and frogspawn corals, though the latter is harder to get it to bud. Mine detached on its own, maybe due to strong flow or fish disturbance.

Hope you succeed in propagating lots of torches.

[Sharan Guna]

Hi Bro, it is certainly interesting, but not uncommon. I ever experienced this myself. But the 'budding' died before it grew out. Others were lost inside the rocks due to water flow. This phenomenon also includes hammer and frogspawn corals, though the latter is harder to get it to bud. Mine detached on its own, maybe due to strong flow or fish disturbance.

Hope you succeed in propagating lots of torches.

Oh nice!!! Thank you very much firestarter! It really opened my eyes. Its goof to know im not the only one that had experienced this wonder. anyway, i will be updating my progress to see how far i get! Hopefully can go all the way!

[Snoopyhamburger]

Gimme some seeds if successful ( ͡͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡ °)

[Sharan Guna]

Gimme some seeds if successful ( ͡͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡ °)

HAHAHAHAH no problem bro!

[ahchris]

Interesting thread to follow. Keep us updated!!!

[Sharan Guna]

Hi guys,

Just a little update on my "seeds". All my seeds have been picked off my rocks by my diligent coral beauty So hardworking for what???!!!!! I saw some seeds at 1 corner of my tank bottom

Thankfully, the oldest seed that had already established itself is still intact and has developed a more stump-like appearance. Like become thicker la. This one looks real promising. And its in a corner where my coral beauty cant fit

In the mean time, i don't intend to plant any more of the seeds. Must recce a good location first

[tec]

Bro, if my experiment succeed, everyone will have so many seeds because every tip of everyone's torch can make a new torch. Like that torch become free loh!!! ahahaha.

i can give you all the seeds you want...FOR FREE!

Will pm u when ur experiment completed,thx for the free offer.

[Sharan Guna]

Will pm u when ur experiment completed,thx for the free offer.

Hahaha no problem bro. But as seen in my experiment and as told by bro firestarter, 'planting'the seed is quite challenging. But nontheless, we can still try my seeds are free anyway ahahaha

[Snoopyhamburger]

HAHAHAHAH no problem bro!

Haha thanks man,good luck!

[Sharan Guna]

Hi guys,

just a little update on my experiment

Day -

Why the "-" you may be wondering... because all my planted seeds dropped off. But the initial self-planted seed is still thriving so from now on, i will be doing an update on this one seed. This seed has grown a bit bigger in size and also the "arms" around the diameter of the seed has also become thicker and rounder. The general appearance looks less round now. Don't know if it has become injured or what. But i seem some growth every few days so i guess its still alive.

On a side note, my torch fell onto a clam from the rock i had perched it on and the clam closed! and ripped of part of my torch head . Poor mother torch. Still got another head la. but quite saddening.

[asg]

Bro instead of planting seed on rock. I suggest u try this method:

Take a small mineral water bottle and cut it till 1/5 of base

Put some coral chip or frag disk in the mineral water bottle

Put ur seed on or in bewteen the coral chip or frag disk.

Put the mineral water base at a low flow area of ur tank. If u want u can cover it with fish net.

Wait for the seed to attach themselves

I intend to frag my toolstood using this method after i clear up my space.

[Sharan Guna]

Bro instead of planting seed on rock. I suggest u try this method:

Take a small mineral water bottle and cut it till 1/5 of base

Put some coral chip or frag disk in the mineral water bottle

Put ur seed on or in bewteen the coral chip or frag disk.

Put the mineral water base at a low flow area of ur tank. If u want u can cover it with fish net.

Wait for the seed to attach themselves

I intend to frag my toolstood using this method after i clear up my space.

WOW! this sounds like a very good method. I was just thinking of a way to plant the seed properly and you suggested this! Thanks bro! i am definitely going to try this in the next few days!

[Sharan Guna]

hi guys,

here is a little update on my baby torcch and also some other exciting news.

So, the oldest seed ( i should be naming this seed by now, so please give me some suggestions! ) is doing very well. It seems to have fattened up and has grown abit wider as well. the number of arms that are surrounding it is increasing as well.

At this moment in time, my only worry is that this growing baby torch drops of the rock for some unknown reason. I don't think i am able to set up a separate tank just for this one baby.But it would be so darn worth it! So here is a picture of our little baby that was taken while she was sleeping tonight. ( I assume all torch corals are a girl because they all give birth) .

On a more exciting note, i decided to contact our most helpful professors at NUS tropical marine science institute with regard to my observations seeking further clarifications. I have since been contacted by a research fellow at the institute who so graciously explained and clarified this observation. Here is an excerpt from the email.

"This is a very interesting observation that you have noted. From the pictures that you have sent us, it seems like the coral has undergone an unique mode of asexual reproduction called polyp bailout. This process is usually associated with stress, for instance, moving the parent colony around or the water conditions are not ideal.

This has been noted in different families of hard corals, such as the Fungiidae (mushroom corals), Faviidae (brain coral) and Pocilloporiidae (cauliflower coral). For each family, the mechanism of polyp bailout differs, for example, some corals would retract its tissue entirely to form structure that resembles a larvae."

[Sharan Guna]

hi guys,

just a little update on the growth so far. Nothing much has changed, except for the tentacles that have seemed to grown abit longer and rounder. There is this little weed growing beside the baby torch that scares me. I'm afraid it will die if it touches the weed. Any advice guys?

[Sharan Guna]

hi guys,

another update on the progress. Seems to have grown quite abit now. And the rate at which it is actually growing has also increased which means i see more growth every passing day im pretty confident about this growing out to be a full colony.