Does zooxanthellae transfer between SPS species?

[ssterling]

I am wondering if anyone knows of any information sources regarding zooxanthellae transfer. I am not sure but I think I may have something like this happening in my tank.

About two months ago I set up a frag tank with the same lighting conditions and fragged about 50 pieces of three different coral types. The purple staghorn, a tricolor turquoise/purple/blue staghorn and a neon yellow/green bottle brush are all now together in close proximity in the frag tank.

I have had it set up for about 5 years now and have mostly SPS in it. The coral in question is a purple staghorn changing color closer to the tricolor staghorn. (sorry pictures are a bit blurry)


Purple Staghorn

Tricolor Staghorn

Several pieces of the purple staghorn now have areas that distinctly look like the tricolor stag. Could it be possible that the zooxanthellae from the tricolor moved to the purple stag? The reason I think it may be the case is because the purple staghorn frags came off a mother colony in the display tank the had become shaded by another color a little so it developed some pale areas. It is these same pale areas that now look like the tricolor.


All these are from the Purple Staghorn Mother Colony

In my display I have colonies of the purple stag and the tricolor at various depths and nothing in that tank is exhibited this same effect.

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System Volume: Display+Sump+Frag Tank = 290 gallons

Display Tank:
60"L x 30"W x 30"H
2 x 400W DE Ushio 14K (at 10" above water level)

Frag Tank:
30"L x 18"W x 10"H
1 x 250W DE Ushio 14K (at 24" above water level)

Parameters:
Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Phosphate: not detectable
Calcium: 420
Alkalinity: 10
Magnesium: 1250
Salinity: 1.036 S.G.
Temp: 78 to 80
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[MechEng99]

If I'm remembering correctly, a study on this was recently published in the Coral Reef Journal. But, I think it was done in more of a controlled study - the zooxanthallae were isolated and placed into the host. I think the host was completely void of zooxanthallae. But, please don't quote me on any of that - just trying to remember. Maybe someone else read the same article?

 

[Shawnts106]

This "Purple Stag" wouldnt be a Tortusa Colony would it?... Those frags, some of them do look like Tortusa... or maybe it is just me...

Either way, this is a very interesting idea...

I mean, Baby Clams get their Zooxanthallae from the environment.... I suppose corals could potentional consume them somehow.....

THis is really an interesting thread... tagging along

 

[buy_baff]

+1 totaly looks like cali tort. I have herd of this happening.

 

[crsaz]

yes corals can transfer zooxanthellae, the tyree grafted simplex is a perfect example of this.

 

[ssterling]

Could be a Tortuosa, not too sure.

 

[ssterling]

Thanks for the info crsaz. Does anyone know of any source material on the subject? I am curious why I haven't seen it until recently and I am wondering if it can be engineered across species not just by grafting.

 

[thebanker]

yes corals can transfer zooxanthellae, the tyree grafted simplex is a perfect example of this.

grafting aside, can the zoox jump from one colony to another? I read an article somewhere about green fluorescent protein being injected into various non-fluorescent acropora, and it took hold and propagated itself across the acro colony.

 

[jd474]

zoox. is constantly moving to and from corals that will accept a particular clade. The first year the SECORE group collected A. palmata larvae they didn't have any zoox. to expose to the settlers, so they used Indo-Pacific acros (which that coral hasn't seen in millions of years), and they took it up. I'd post the DNA results, but I'm not totally sure I'm allowed to, but that should answer your question.

 

[ssterling]

Someone over at reef frontiers said the color change is likely due to lighting condition changes though because he said that coral color is more due to coral pigments than from zooxanthellae.

Thoughts?

 

[ssterling]

Ok, I think I opened up a deeper discussion here. I have been doing some digging regarding what gives coral it's color and found an interesting article.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/aafeature#h1

Here is a quote from it:

"it was once very popular within the hobby to associate all coral coloration with pigments found within zooxanthellae. While it is true that light absorbed by the photopigments of symbionts does play an important part in the overall coloration perceived by the human eye, it is generally a mistake to ascribe fluorescence to chlorophyll and a definite error to link it to peridinin, beta-carotene and some other photopigments (the role these pigments play in determining the apparent coral color will be examined in a separate article. Phycoerythrin is a notable exception as it can lend an orange fluorescent color to corals under proper conditions). Articles that state differently-colored zooxanthellae are responsible for fluorescence are misleading."

The whole article is a very interesting read if you have time. It seems that perhaps my situation may be more due to the environmental change rather than just the interchange of zoozanthellae.

 

[zangmann]

I'm inclined to think the change is due to environment as well. Perhaps the close proximity to the tricolor just led to the assumption that the zoox transferred.

Might not even have mentioned anything if the tri-color staghorn wasn't anywhere near the purple staghorn?

 

[ssterling]

Agreed