The effects of aquarium culture on coral oocyte ultrastructure

As the world’s oceans are currently threatened by anthropogenic pollution and climate change, coral breeding has become an important conservation method, since it can limit marine organisms’ exposure to sub-optimal environment conditions. However, the aquarium environment is inherently different from the ocean, and this could manifest in physiological changes in the reared organisms, particularly with respect to their reproduction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to observe and compare the ultrastructure of the oocytes from wild Oxypora lacera and Echinopora gemmacea with the oocytes from cultured corals using transmission electron microscope. The oocytes from Wild O. lacera and E. gemmacea were larger than cultured ones, though their microvillus layers were significantly thiner. Internally, lipid granule areas and yolk material density in the oocytes of wild O. lacera and E. gemmacea were ~25% lower than in their cultured counterparts. Food availability and the presence and availability of symbiotic dinoflagellates (genus Symbiodinium) may have played a role in driving these lipid-based differences, in particular, as cultured corals had limited potential for heterotrophic feeding. These data will aid in future coral husbandry efforts.