caa a22 4500 445819715 CHVBK 20180317145240.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20111201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00338-011-0765-z doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00338-011-0765-z Sclerite calcification and reef-building in the fleshy octocoral genus Sinularia (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) [Elektronische Daten] [M.-S. Jeng, H.-D. Huang, C.-F. Dai, Y.-C. Hsiao, Y. Benayahu] Alcyonacean octocorals in tropical reefs are usually not considered as reef builders. Some Sinularia species, however, are capable of consolidating sclerites at the colony base to form spiculite. Nanwan Bay, southern Taiwan, features both fossilized and recently formed boulders composed of spiculite, thus demonstrating the role of Sinularia in contributing to the reef structure. Section radiography of an 18.5kg spiculite boulder demonstrated a regular density banding of 3-6-mm intervals. Core survey indicated spiculite coverage of 25-30% on the live reef and of 30-40% on the uplifted boulders. Cores taken from living Sinularia revealed a distinct transition from discrete sclerites to compact spiculite and amorphous calcium carbonate cementing the sclerites. In the widespread S. gibberosa, sclerite formation appeared to start intracellularly, followed by a prolonged extracellular calcification process. At the calcification site, multiple sclerocytes formed expanded pseudopod-like membranes that interconnected, forming multicellular vesicles (MCVs) around the sclerites. The MCVs and the pseudopods disappeared at sclerite maturation, followed by degradation of the sclerocytes around the mature sclerites. At the colony base, granular vesicles were distributed among the sclerites, indicating a cementing process in progress. These findings suggest that colonies of Sinularia are able to cement sclerites and consolidate them at their base into spiculite, thus making them reef builders. Springer-Verlag, 2011 Reef-building nationallicence Octocorals nationallicence Spiculite nationallicence Sinularia nationallicence Calcification nationallicence Sclerite cementation nationallicence Taiwan nationallicence Jeng M.-S Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 11529, Taipei, Taiwan aut Huang H.-D National Museum of Natural Science, 40453, Taichung, Taiwan aut Dai C.-F Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 10617, Taipei, Taiwan aut Hsiao Y.-C Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 11529, Taipei, Taiwan aut Benayahu Y. Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel aut Coral Reefs Springer-Verlag 30/4(2011-12-01), 925-933 0722-4028 30:4<925 2011 30 338 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-011-0765-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-011-0765-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Jeng M.-S Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 11529, Taipei, Taiwan aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Huang H.-D National Museum of Natural Science, 40453, Taichung, Taiwan aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Dai C.-F Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, 10617, Taipei, Taiwan aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Hsiao Y.-C Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 11529, Taipei, Taiwan aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Benayahu Y. Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Coral Reefs Springer-Verlag 30/4(2011-12-01), 925-933 0722-4028 30:4<925 2011 30 338 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer