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Summary: ORIGINAL PAPER
Egg release and settlement patterns of dioecious
and hermaphroditic fucoid algae during the tidal cycle
L. B. Ladah Æ F. Feddersen Æ G. A. Pearson Æ
E. A. Serra~o
Received: 27 April 2008 / Accepted: 18 August 2008
Ó Springer-Verlag 2008
Abstract The timing of gamete release by fucoid algae,
although known to be restricted to calm days is not
clearly understood within a circadian time scale. The need
for externally fertilizing species to avoid gamete dilution
suggests that in wave-exposed areas spawning may occur
during particular tidal phases. However, this may differ
between mating systems, as selfing species may be less
affected by gamete dilution. In this study, two different
approaches were used to determine when egg release
occurs during the tidal cycle in two sister species with
different mating systems. First, egg settlement of Fucus
vesiculosus (dioecious) and Fucus spiralis (selfing her-
maphrodite) was quantified on removable substrates (egg
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