The history, biological relevance, and potential applications for polyp bailout in corals

• Published in: Ecology and evolution Vol. 11; no. 13; pp. 8424 - 8440
• Main Authors: Schweinsberg, Maximilian, Gösser, Fabian, Tollrian, Ralph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.07.2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Asexuality; Bailouts; Calcification; Colonies; Connective tissue; Corals; Dispersal; Dispersion; Genet–Ramet system; Invertebrates; model system; Modularity; Morphology; Organisms; Physiology; polyp bailout; Polyps; Polyps (organisms); Review; Reviews; scleractinian corals; Stress response; Japan; Pacific Ocean; model system; stress response; polyp bailout; scleractinian corals; Genet–Ramet system
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7740

Corals have evolved a variety of stress responses to changing conditions, many of which have been the subject of scientific research. However, polyp bailout has not received widespread scientific attention, despite being described more than 80 years ago. Polyp bailout is a drastic response to acute stress in which coral colonies break down, with individual and patches of polyps detaching from the colony and the calcareous skeleton Polyps retain their symbiotic partners, have dispersal ability, and may undergo secondary settlement and calcification. Polyp bailout has been described worldwide in a variety of anthozoan species, especially in Scleractinia. It can be induced by multiple natural stressors, but also artificially. Little is known about the evolutionary and ecological potential and consequences of breaking down modularity, the dispersal ability, and reattachment of polyps resulting from polyp bailout. It has been shown that polyp bailout can be used as a model system, with promise for implementation in various research topics. To date, there has been no compilation of knowledge on polyp bailout, which prompted us to review this interesting stress response and provide a basis to discuss research topics and priorities for the future. The present review addresses the stress response polyp bailout, including the current state of research and theoretical aspects of the evolutionary and ecological consequences. Furthermore, the review deals with the possible use of polyp bailout in future research.