Both parents and offspring were born during daytime! A world’s first! Successful multigenerational coral breeding during daytime.

The coral that was born during the daytime in Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium has become a parent, and we are proud to announce that on the 24th of May 2024, around 14:47, it successfully spawned.

Spawning during daytime①
Spawning during daytime②

【Spawning, the releasing of sperm and eggs, during daytime】
During spawning, corals (Acropora stony corals) release bundles which are pink, 1 mm in diameter, capsules filled with eggs and sperm. These bundles burst once they reach the surface, and the eggs fertilize. Most of the stony corals that inhabit the waters near Okinawa Main Island are known to spawn a few hours after sunset near a full moon between May and June. We have many requests from visitors to see this spawning, however as the spawning usually takes place at night, it was not possible for visitors to witness a spawning event. Therefore, in 2020, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium developed a technique to shift the coral’s spawning hours by adjusting the lighting in the tanks. This has allowed us to successfully exhibit the corals spawning during daytime, and to do so in every subsequent year. This year, the coral that was born in this tank in 2020 has grown to maturity, and has also successfully spawned.