Jornal de Biologia Marinha e Oceanografia

First Report of Synchronized Spawning in the Starfish Fromia ghardaqana

Annalisa Azzola

Starfish play a keystone role in the trophic organization of benthic marine communities. They may be abundant and diverse in coral reefs, and knowledge about their main biological traits (e.g. reproduction) is mandatory for species conservation. Although several studies have been conducted in the laboratory on the reproduction of starfish, field observations are poorly reported in the literature. Synchronizing reproduction with environmental factors increases the success of fertilization and survival of offspring. When environmental conditions become optimal, chemical exchanges occur between individuals that commonly aggregate while they are spawning.