Katrene C. Cerna, Ma. Katrina Lanaria-Lim, Antonio N. Ayop, Emmeline A. Jamodiong, Kurt Bryant B. Bacharo, Ronald D. Villanueva, Patrick C. Cabaitan, Anthony S. Ilano
Local information on coral reproductive patterns is vital for coral reef conservation, rehabilitation, and restoration efforts. In the Philippines, data on the sexual reproductive strategies of broadcast spawning scleractinian coral species have slowly progressed. However, this information is mainly restricted to the country’s northern region. Here, we provided notes on the sexual reproduction of four Acropora species and one Favites species that were monitored and sampled from September 2015 to December 2016. The highest mean fecundities of polyps (mean ± SE) were variable for each species (Acropora cf. gemmifera: 14.3 ± 1.16, A. cf. sarmentosa: 8.35 ± 0.16, A. cf. valida: 11.2 ± 0.09, A. aff. tenuis: 23.7, Favites cf. abdita: 309.9 ± 33.94). The largest mean oocyte GMD for each species were variable. For Acropora spp., the values ranged from 425.28 to 539.16 μm, and is higher than F. cf. abdita (273.44 ± 2.85 μm). Although the in situ spawning was not observed for these aforementioned species, ex situ (laboratory) spawning was observed for A. cf. anthocercis colonies in October 2015 and October 2016, 11 nights after the full moon. The observations showed that the spawning duration in selected coral reef sites in the central Philippines are extended from April to December. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
Marine Biology Section, Department of Biology, University of San Carlos, Cebu City, 6000, Philippines; Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; Wildlife Conservation Society - Philippines, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines; College of Arts and Sciences, University of Northern Philippines, Vigan City, 2700, Philippines; Independent Researcher, El Salvador City, 9017, Philippines; Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan; College of Fisheries and Allied Sciences, Cebu Technological University, Carmen, Cebu, 6005, Philippines
