Organisms
Clown Fish:
Clown fish reproduce asexually. They are hermaphrodites, meaning that they develop into males first and become females when they mature. If there is a group of clown fish living in one anemone and a female is taken out of the group, one of the male clown fish would become a female. The males attract the females by chasing, biting, and extending their fins. The female lays one hundred to one thousand eggs and the male protects the eggs. They hatch within 4 to 5 days.
Coral:
Coral can reproduce both ways. They can reproduce sexually and asexually. They reproduce sexually to increase the genetic diversity and they reproduce asexually to increase the size of the colony. Asexual reproduction results in polyps or colonies that are clones of eachother. This occurs through budding or fragmentation. Budding is when a polyp reaches a certain size and divides, genetically creating a new life form which is a duplicate of itself. Fragmentation is when a whole colony of coral may break off and form a new colony. Coral usually do this to avoid danger such as to avoid a storm or to avoid fishing equipment.
Anemone:
The anemone, like coral, can reproduce both asexually and sexually. It reproduces asexually by budding off an identical twin of itself from a single specimen. It reproduces sexually by releasing eggs or sperm into the water. If an egg meets with a sperm an anemone will begin to form.
Clown fish reproduce asexually. They are hermaphrodites, meaning that they develop into males first and become females when they mature. If there is a group of clown fish living in one anemone and a female is taken out of the group, one of the male clown fish would become a female. The males attract the females by chasing, biting, and extending their fins. The female lays one hundred to one thousand eggs and the male protects the eggs. They hatch within 4 to 5 days.
Coral:
Coral can reproduce both ways. They can reproduce sexually and asexually. They reproduce sexually to increase the genetic diversity and they reproduce asexually to increase the size of the colony. Asexual reproduction results in polyps or colonies that are clones of eachother. This occurs through budding or fragmentation. Budding is when a polyp reaches a certain size and divides, genetically creating a new life form which is a duplicate of itself. Fragmentation is when a whole colony of coral may break off and form a new colony. Coral usually do this to avoid danger such as to avoid a storm or to avoid fishing equipment.
Anemone:
The anemone, like coral, can reproduce both asexually and sexually. It reproduces asexually by budding off an identical twin of itself from a single specimen. It reproduces sexually by releasing eggs or sperm into the water. If an egg meets with a sperm an anemone will begin to form.
Plants
There are also plants in the coral reef that can reproduce. The following below will show two examples of plants that reproduce in the coral reef.
Seagrass:
They can reproduce both asexually and sexually. When they asexually reproduce rhizomes grow longer beneath the sediment and new, genetically identical shoots are formed. This method of reproduction is usually used for the expansion in meadows. Sexual reproduction occurs by using the flower of the seagrass. When the male pollen meets with the female ovary new seagrass shoots are produced. This method of reproducing is used to create new meadows of seagrass.
Seaweed (Algae):
Seaweeds can reproduce sexually and asexually. They reproduce sexually when male and female reproductive cells, called gametes are released from the sporophyte. The spores settle and grow into male and female plants called gametophytes. The gametophytes produce sperm or eggs. The sperm and eggs are either retained within the gametophyte plant body, or released into the water. Eggs are fertilized when the sperm and egg meet, and a zygote is created. Zygotes grow into sporophytes, and the sporophyte will develop into seaweed (algae). They can also reproduce asexually through fragmentation or division. This happens when a part of the plant breaks off and starts to form into a new individual. This then become a clone of the original plant.
Seagrass:
They can reproduce both asexually and sexually. When they asexually reproduce rhizomes grow longer beneath the sediment and new, genetically identical shoots are formed. This method of reproduction is usually used for the expansion in meadows. Sexual reproduction occurs by using the flower of the seagrass. When the male pollen meets with the female ovary new seagrass shoots are produced. This method of reproducing is used to create new meadows of seagrass.
Seaweed (Algae):
Seaweeds can reproduce sexually and asexually. They reproduce sexually when male and female reproductive cells, called gametes are released from the sporophyte. The spores settle and grow into male and female plants called gametophytes. The gametophytes produce sperm or eggs. The sperm and eggs are either retained within the gametophyte plant body, or released into the water. Eggs are fertilized when the sperm and egg meet, and a zygote is created. Zygotes grow into sporophytes, and the sporophyte will develop into seaweed (algae). They can also reproduce asexually through fragmentation or division. This happens when a part of the plant breaks off and starts to form into a new individual. This then become a clone of the original plant.