Do corals die from old age

[BioMan]

Do they?

 

[rookie07]

I'm going to say no. Corals grow and spread. They can die from many other causes though.

 

[CleanYourTank11]

Tricky one, I'd assume that natural factors and or humans kill off coral before the possibility of old age. On sps coral with new growth and all how would you determine "old age" die off,I don't think it exists? Lps and softies can get huge, who knows how long that actually takes,definitely not overnight. Maybe someone has some actual facts on this one. I definitely have read about a 100+ year old clam, if I remember it's no longer alive but can't remember how it died.

 

[jvu61]

this is what I found on the subject

Corals are colonial, cloning species with very slow growth; generation times may last decades or centuries. Individual polyps may die of old age, and there are certainly less hardy species around, but it is conceivable that some colonies will succumb only to disease, chemical, or physical destruction. Some coral species may last for 20-40 million years; some single generations seem to persist indefinitely. However, maximum genotypic longevity is probably limited by the establishment of present sea level about 8,000 years ago. The oldest reef found to date is 8600 calendar years old.

"Most corals do not seem to experience physiological senescence and individual colonies have the potential for indeterminate clonal growth." In some cases, modern colonies are still composed of the original post-Pleistocne colonists or only a few generations removed. "...once certain clones become dominant, their generation will tend to be prolonged indefinitely and their genes will persist in the population until the ancient genotypes die, something that may require total destruction of the habitat."
Generation time and the Quaternary evolution of reef-building corals
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2400500?seq=...
http://www.statoilshop.no/STATOILCOM/SVG...

A study of deep-sea corals (which make up two-thirds of all species) identified living Gerardia sp. and Leiopathes sp. specimens that were 2,742 years and 4,265 years, respectively.
Extreme longevity in proteinaceous deep-sea corals
http://www.pnas.org/content/106/13/5204

 

[LatinP]

Corals die from lack or too much light, bad water quality, diseases or other trauma related injuries. Search Google for examples of corals in the wild that are hundreds to thousands of years old.

 

[LongIslandAndy]

Do they?

Not in my tank lol

 

[BioMan]

this is what i found on the subject

corals are colonial, cloning species with very slow growth; generation times may last decades or centuries. Individual polyps may die of old age, and there are certainly less hardy species around, but it is conceivable that some colonies will succumb only to disease, chemical, or physical destruction. Some coral species may last for 20-40 million years; some single generations seem to persist indefinitely. However, maximum genotypic longevity is probably limited by the establishment of present sea level about 8,000 years ago. The oldest reef found to date is 8600 calendar years old.

"most corals do not seem to experience physiological senescence and individual colonies have the potential for indeterminate clonal growth." in some cases, modern colonies are still composed of the original post-pleistocne colonists or only a few generations removed. "...once certain clones become dominant, their generation will tend to be prolonged indefinitely and their genes will persist in the population until the ancient genotypes die, something that may require total destruction of the habitat."
generation time and the quaternary evolution of reef-building corals
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2400500?seq=...
http://www.statoilshop.no/statoilcom/svg...

a study of deep-sea corals (which make up two-thirds of all species) identified living gerardia sp. And leiopathes sp. Specimens that were 2,742 years and 4,265 years, respectively.
Extreme longevity in proteinaceous deep-sea corals
http://www.pnas.org/content/106/13/5204

nice!

 

[viplok]

coral have 99 problem but age aint one...

 

[marrone]

Not in my tank lol

Now that's a good one.