This is asexual reproduction and is called “fragmentation”. Figure 6. One of the most spectacular events to occur on the Great Barrier Reef is the annual synchronised spawning of corals. Many corals are able to spread across reef space by asexual means, such as fragmentation, but this results in clones of the same colony and does not increase the diversity or gene pool of the reef. Coral colonies can be comprised of solely hermaphrodites, single sex individuals or a mix or male, female and hermaphrodite corals. Like many marine invertebrates, corals have a two-phase life cycle, a planktonic larval phase and a sessile adult phase, where most species live attached to the reef. Externally fertilized eggs develop while adrift. However Reef Coral has different parts to budding unlike the Porifera phylum. Sexual reproduction. Much like the Porifera phylum, coral reproduces asexually through budding and gemmules. After a few … Heliofungia corals can reproduce sexually or asexually. This distinguishment tends to be by species, but sometimes is by geographical region. All asexual reproduction — budding, parthenogenesis and coral bail out — result in clones being formed. Corals reproduce in two different ways - sexually and asexually. Budding is a form of asexual reproduction that results from the outgrowth of a part of a cell or body region leading to a separation from the original organism into two individuals. This mass reproduction only happens once a year. Free-swimming larvae are released into the water and settle within hours. Sexual Reproduction. Euphyllia clones that dripped from the parent colony have settled in an aquarium of Gary Moss. These corals are also known to reproduce sexually, with broadcasting of gametes from separately-sexed (gonochoric) parent colonies. Corals reproduce sexually by either internal or external fertilization. Budding occurs commonly in some invertebrate animals such as corals and hydras. Within a fortnight, the larvae will settle on to hard substrate. Internally fertilized eggs are brooded by the polyp for days to weeks. On a healthy reef, when corals break, the broken pieces can lodge in cracks and crevices and grow into new colonies that are clones of the parent. During sexual reproduction, eggs and sperm are released into the water, where the fertilised egg develops into larvae. Sexual reproduction diversifies the gene pool. Coral polyps reproduce sexually and asexually. One way is sexually through spawning, when the corals release eggs and sperm into the water (often at the same time due to some sort of trigger).External sexual reproduction occurs when colonies of coral release huge numbers of eggs and sperm that are often glued into bundles (one bundle per polyp) that float towards the surface. 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