A new study reveals how free-living mushroom corals migrate using a unique mechanism called pulsed inflation, moving towards light sources and exhibiting a preference for blue light.
Free-living mushroom corals, unlike their attached counterparts, possess the remarkable ability to migrate to preferred habitats. A recent study led by Dr. Brett Lewis from the QUT School of Atmospheric and Earth Science s and the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, published in a renowned scientific journal, sheds light on this fascinating phenomenon. These tiny corals employ a unique mechanism called pulsed inflation to propel themselves through the water.
This involves rhythmic inflation and deflation of their tissues, much like the movement observed in jellyfish.The research revealed that pulsed inflation extends beyond mere survival strategies, playing a crucial role in migration and navigation. The corals exhibit a remarkable phototaxis, moving directly towards light sources. This behavior, mirroring that of jellyfish, suggests a higher level of neurological sophistication than previously acknowledged. Interestingly, the study also discovered a strong preference for blue light, with 86.7% of the corals migrating towards blue light sources compared to a mere 20% for white light. This preference aligns with their inhabitation of deeper water environments where blue wavelengths are prevalent. These findings provide valuable insights into coral mobility and demonstrate a close relationship between their movement mechanisms and those of jellyfish, which have been extensively studied for their evolutionary significance in the development of centralized nervous systems in organisms like humans. Understanding the movement strategies of these migratory corals could prove invaluable in predicting their responses to environmental changes such as those induced by climate change. The ability of these corals to migrate to deeper waters, where sea surface temperature fluctuations are less pronounced, could contribute to their resilience in the face of a changing climate
CORAL MIGRATION PULSED INFLATION PHOTOTAXIS JELLYFISH
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