DEVELOPMENT AND GENETIC CONTROL OF HISTOINCOMPATIBILITY IN SCLERACTINIAN CORALS.

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Contact responses between primary polyps or young colonies derived from different colonies of the coral Pocillopora damicornis were examined. Polyps from the same colonies fused with each other. Polyps from different colonies showed either fusion, nonfusion, or incompatible fusion. In non-fused pairs, tissue was discontinuous and a skeletal ridge was formed at the interface. In incompatible fusion, tissues of the paired polyps appeared continuous but a white zone without zooxanthellae was observed at the interface of the polyps. Newly formed polyps located near the white zone sometimes disappeared or were partially resorbed as the white zone widened. When the skeleton of the polyps was observed with a SEM, the skeleton was continuous but a groove with skeletal spines on both sides was observed at the interface. Most of the polyps which showed incompatible fusion became separated by a skeletal ridge as in non-fused pairs or by a narrow zone of skeleton without living tissue after 2 - 8 months. The incompatible fusion might be a histoincompatible response which may later transform into nonfusion response.Polyps isolated from different colonies of Galaxa fascicularis were brought into contact. Polyps isolated from colonies belonging to different color morphs generally did not fuse with each other. However, in one combination (Gt-Gs), Tissue appeared continuous but a white zone with no or only a few zooxanthellae was observed at the interface. To examine genetic nature of the chimeric colonies produced by fusion of polyps belonging to different coloe morphs, I attempted to examine the allozyme pattern of constituents of the chimeric colonies. Eighteen enzymes were stained but only 8 enzymes produced interpretable bands. Since constituents of the chimeric colonies displayd the same zymographs, I could not analyze the genetic nature of the chimeras.