Reproductive biology, development, and planula behavior in the Caribbean gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae

The reproductive biology, development, and planula behavior of the gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae were studied at 2 sites in the Bahamas between 1996 and 2001. Colonies were gonochoric, and females brooded planulae on the colony surface. Gonads were observed only in colonies 18 cm high or larger. Spawning was asynchronous within and between sites but was concentrated 2-10 days after the new moons from late November through early January. Fertilized eggs developed into planulae over 1-2 days and the planulae remained attached to the surface of the female colony for an additional 2-4 days. Planulae were negatively buoyant and field observations suggest that larvae may settle within tens of meters of the maternal colony. P. elisabethae is harvested for natural products, and information on the reproduction of this commercially important species is crucial to the understanding of its population biology and to the development of management plans for the conservation of the species.