How Do Button Corals Reproduce? These Methods Are Simple and Easy to Learn

Button coral colonies are a class of zoantharians; they are relatives of corals and sea anemones, attaching to rocks or coral reefs in shallow seas. Some varieties of button coral secrete a highly toxic substance——palytoxin. Therefore, great care must be taken during keeping. Today we bring you how button corals reproduce.

I. How Button Corals Reproduce

1. Asexual reproduction

When water quality meets standards and water flow, water temperature, lighting system, calcium content, etc. all meet the requirements, corals in the aquarium will naturally multiply. The main form of asexual reproduction is “budding", in which the parent produces branches. During budding, a new bud grows out at the side of the parent, and as the bud continues to grow it gradually separates from the parent; this is the entire process of asexual reproduction.

2. Manual intervention

The asexual reproduction of button corals has a low success rate and is uncontrollable, so the method of manual intervention is used. More professional hobbyists are able to fragment button corals by hand. Button corals are relatively easy corals to propagate, and each developing bud can be seen very clearly. Use sharp scissors or a bone cutter to cut the bud away from the parent; this greatly tests your cutting skill, and those whose cutting skill is not up to par will cause the button coral to produce many fragments. Fix the cut buds onto live rock, placing them in a location with suitable light and water flow.

II. Routes of Poisoning

1. Eating contaminated fish or crustacean products.

2. Inhaling vapors containing palytoxin.

3. Eyes or skin coming into contact with sea anemones, corals and their secretions containing palytoxin, or contaminated seawater.

It is currently known that this toxin exists in button corals of the genus Palythoa; rainbow button corals usually (note, usually, there are many exceptions) belong to the genus Zoanthus, and no highly toxic reports have yet been made for button corals of the genus Z.