Polyp (zoology)
A polyp in
Classes
In the
Anatomy
The body of the polyp may be roughly compared in a structure to a sac, the wall of which is composed of two layers of
The sac-like body built up in this way is attached usually to some firm object by its blind end, and bears at the upper end the mouth which is surrounded by a circle of
We can distinguish therefore in the body of a polyp the column, circular or oval in section, forming the trunk, resting on a base or foot and surmounted by the crown of tentacles, which enclose an area termed the
The external form of the polyp varies greatly in different cases. The column may be long and slender, or may be so short in the vertical direction that the body becomes disk-like. The tentacles may number many hundreds or may be very few, in rare cases only one or two. They may be long and filamentous, or short and reduced to mere knobs or warts. They may be simple and unbranched, or they may be feathery in pattern. The mouth may be level with the surface of the peristome, or may be projecting and trumpet-shaped. As regards internal structure, polyps exhibit two well-marked types of organization, each characteristic of one of the two classes, Hydrozoa and Anthozoa.[1]
In the class Hydrozoa, the polyps are indeed often very simple, like the common little
Reproduction
It is an almost universal attribute of polyps to reproduce
Asexual reproduction
In many cases the buds formed do not separate from the parent but remain in continuity with it, thus forming colonies or stocks, which may reach a great size and contain a vast number of individuals. Slight differences in the method of budding produce great variations in the form of the colonies. The reef-building corals are polyp-colonies, strengthened by the formation of a firm skeleton.[1]
Sexual reproduction
Among sea anemones, sexual plasticity may occur. That is, asexually produced clones derived from a single founder individual can contain both male and female individuals (ramets).
The overwhelming majority of stony coral (Scleractinia) taxa are hermaphroditic in their adult colonies.[4] In these species, there is ordinarily synchronized release of eggs and sperm into the water during brief spawning events.[5] Although some species are capable of self-fertilization to varying extents, cross-fertilization appears to be the dominant mating pattern.[4]
Etymology
The name polyp was given by René Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur[6] to these organisms from their superficial resemblance to an octopus (French: poulpe, ultimately from Ancient Greek adverb πολύ (poly, "much") + noun πούς (pous, "foot")), with its circle of writhing arms round the mouth. This comparison contrasts to the common name "coral-insects" applied to the polyps which form coral.[1]
Threats
75% of the world's corals are threatened[7] due to overfishing, destructive fishing, coastal development, pollution, thermal stress, ocean acidification, crown-of-thorns starfish, and introduced invasive species.[8]
In recent decades the conditions that corals and polyps have found themselves in have been changing, leading to new diseases being observed in corals in many parts of the world, posing even greater risk to an already pressured animal.[9] Aquatic life has been put under a substantial amount of stress because of the pollutants caused by land-based agriculture. Particularly, exposure to the insecticide profenofos and the fungicide MEMC have played a major part in polyp retraction and biomass decrease.[10][11] There have been many experiments resulting supporting hypothesis that heat stress in Acropora tenuis juvenile polyp provoke an up-regulation of protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. The results vary based on the polyp characteristics such as age, type, and growth stage.
See also
- Portuguese man o' war
- Zoanthid
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i public domain: Minchin, Edward Alfred (1911). "Polyp". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 37. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ Chang, T.D. and Sullivan, J.M. "Temporal associations of coral and zooplankton activity on a Caribbean reef Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine" Dartmouth Studies in Tropical Ecology. 2008. Accessed 2009-06-21.
- PMID 20686700.
- ^ a b Heyward AJ, Babcock, RC (1986). Self- and cross-fertilization in scleractinian corals. Marine Biology 90, 191–195
- S2CID 31244527.
- ISBN 9781400069378
- ^ "NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program: New Analysis: 75% of Coral Reefs Under Threat". coralreef.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
- ^ Burke, Reytar (2011). "Reefs at Risk Revisited" (Document). World Resources Institute.
- ProQuest 1357199805.)
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External links
- "Hydroids from Reunion Island and the Indian Ocean". 8 December 2006. Archived from the original on 8 December 2006. Retrieved 5 June 2019.<
- "Corals and Coral Reefs". Smithsonian Ocean. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "NOAA's Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) - What are Coral Reefs". www.coris.noaa.gov. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- "Coral Polyps - Coral Reef Alliance". coral.org. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- "What are corals? - International Coral Reef Initiative". www.icriforum.org. Retrieved 5 June 2019.