For years now, we have been propagating mini maxi anemones. They are easy to propagate by cutting them in half and letting them heal for a month or two. Most aquacultured corals are asexually produced either by allowing them to split naturally or by propagation techniques such as cutting and remounting. It is very uncommon to see sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction in anemones is done by way of broadcast spawning, in which the anemones release both sperm and egg into the water column. Fertilized eggs later settle on the substrate and form new colonies. Coral and anemone spawning in home reef aquariums is not unheard of, but it is uncommon. The main reason coral spawning is uncommon in most home aquariums is the close tie between spawning and the lunar cycles. Anemones rely so much on the moon for sexual reproduction that there is no guarantee an egg will come in contact with sperm. If they mistime their release of gametes by as little as 15 minutes, the chance of successful fertilization occurring is greatly minimized. More: Mini Maxi Spawning at Tidal Gardens… More:
The post Mini Maxi Spawning at Tidal Gardens appeared first on reefs.com.