About Plesiastrea peroni Milne Edwards & Haime, 1857
Plesiastrea versipora is an encrusting coral native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It draws scientific interest for its ability to thrive in both tropical and temperate environments, and to grow into massive structures. Existing massive colonies of P. versipora can be very long-lived, so analysis of their internal composition lets researchers reconstruct climatic records from past decades and centuries for the localities where these corals grow. As the only coral genus in temperate waters that can form massive growths up to one metre thick, P. versipora is a valuable indicator for reconstructing climatic records of temperate seas. Plesiastrea versipora also serves as a model organism for studying communication between corals and their symbiotic zooxanthellae. The communication compounds targeting the symbiont are soluble compounds produced by the coral host; these compounds can either trigger zooxanthellae to release photosynthetic products (mainly glycerol) or inhibit photosynthesis. This phenomenon may potentially be generalizable to other coral genera, since identical Symbiodinium strains often occur across multiple coral host genera. P. versipora is the type host for the newly described minor symbiont Chromera velia. Compared to the abundant dominant symbiont Symbiodinium, C. velia occurs in very small numbers in P. versipora colonies, to the point that C. velia cells are barely detectable in the host without culturing. Plesiastrea versipora reproduces sexually. Its larvae acquire symbiotic algae from the surrounding environment, though anecdotal evidence suggests some symbionts may also be transmitted via eggs, indicating this host species has mixed symbiont transmission. This species displays a range of colors from host pigments that protect the coral from ultraviolet radiation. Colonies often grow close to and contact one another. The broad range of color morphs in P. versipora makes it very easy to distinguish where one colony ends and another begins by their coloration.
