Coral spawning occurs when multiple corals release their gametes at the same moment. The underwater love fests are triggered by the moon, temperature, and mood music (Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe). All this sexual activity underwater can trigger other organisms to join in. Basically little colored balls consisting of both sperm and eggs, wrapped in a mucus, detach and float away. These love packets eventually break apart due to water movement. Now the real action happens were sperm and eggs seek each other out. When a match occurs, the development of the larvae ensues that hangs in the water column for a few weeks before settling on the seafloor.
More coral porn below the fold...
Another video here (best of bunch)
And here
A lot more here
And here
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This article is reposted from the old Wordpress incarnation of Not Exactly Rocket Science. The blog is on holiday until the start of October, when I'll return with fresh material.
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"when a match occurs"
Sounds like the coral version of 'The Dating Game'!