Hydrozoans: Difference between revisions
From coraldigest
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== Symbiotic Relationships == | == Symbiotic Relationships == | ||
# Zooxanthellae<ref name="SheddAquarium"> http://sea.sheddaquarium.org/sea/fact_sheets.asp?id=93</ref> | |||
== Reef Building == | == Reef Building == | ||
#Much like the Anthozoans, Hydrozoans often create a calcium enriched skeleton during their polyp stage | #Much like the Anthozoans, Hydrozoans often create a calcium enriched skeleton during their polyp stage | ||
#*Although they are so similar, it is believed that this calcification is a result of convergent evolution as opposed to an ancestral trait<ref name="reefbuildingsponges"></ref> | #*Although they are so similar, it is believed that this calcification is a result of convergent evolution as opposed to an ancestral trait<ref name="reefbuildingsponges"></ref> | ||
#As a group, Hydrozoans provide minimally to overall reef growth, but a few groups have played larger roles | |||
#*Milleporids | |||
#**During the Tertiary period milleporids such as Fire-Coral were responsible for massive changes in reef architecture | |||
#**These animals create a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeleton in which the microscopic polyps can live. This calcium carbonate skeleton is the visible part of the animal, and what gives the easy misconception that these Hyrozoans are true corals.<ref name="SteveStoneCoral"> http://stevestonecoralreeffoundation.org/struct/reefarchitects1.html#cyathids</ref> | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 16:43, 26 February 2014
Hydrozoans
Description
- Sub-group of Gnidarians
- Polyp and Medusa life stages
- Polyp is stationary and buds free floating reproductive Medusa.[1]
- Huge diversity of body types and life cycles
- Often develop colonies, which can take many different forms.[2]
- Coral-like (fire corals)
- Unlike true corals which consist of many cells of an individual animal, Hydrozoan corals consist of individual members called Zooids that together function as a colonial animal.[3]
- Free floating (jellyfish-like)
- Resemble jellyfish, actually a colony consisting of multiple groups of mature Medusa
- Coral-like (fire corals)
Distribution
- Found in every ocean around the world
- Almost entirely in salt water
Symbiotic Relationships
- Zooxanthellae[4]
Reef Building
- Much like the Anthozoans, Hydrozoans often create a calcium enriched skeleton during their polyp stage
- Although they are so similar, it is believed that this calcification is a result of convergent evolution as opposed to an ancestral trait[3]
- As a group, Hydrozoans provide minimally to overall reef growth, but a few groups have played larger roles
- Milleporids
- During the Tertiary period milleporids such as Fire-Coral were responsible for massive changes in reef architecture
- These animals create a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeleton in which the microscopic polyps can live. This calcium carbonate skeleton is the visible part of the animal, and what gives the easy misconception that these Hyrozoans are true corals.[5]
- Milleporids
References
- ↑ http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Hydrozoa/
- ↑ http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/cnidaria/hydrozoa.html
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wood, Rachael “Reef-Building Sponges” American Scientist , Vol. 78, No. 3 (May-June 1990): pp. 224-235
- ↑ http://sea.sheddaquarium.org/sea/fact_sheets.asp?id=93
- ↑ http://stevestonecoralreeffoundation.org/struct/reefarchitects1.html#cyathids