Below are several video clips that show off some of the intriguing animal spawning displays seen within the sanctuary.

To view a video, simply click on play button (>) in the video controller at the bottom of the window. A brief description of each video is provided below the window.

Brittle Stars Spawning

Brittle stars, relatives of sea stars, have long, thin, serpentine arms attached to a central disc. These flexible arms allow brittle stars to move much more quickly than their cousins, but they are also more brittle (hence their name).

Brittle stars also get in on the mass spawning event after the full moon in August at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. This video shows male red serpent brittle stars (Ophioderma squamosissimus) "smoking," or releasing their sperm, into the water through small openings along the sides of their central disks. They tend to do this in groups. At the end of the video, a female ruby brittle star (Ophioderma rubicundum) is actually "standing up" on the tips of her arms and releasing tiny, bright red eggs. (1:19)

Credit: FGBNMS/Hickerson and Heidi Lydersen

top of page

Christmas Tree Worms Spawning
(Spirobranchus giganteus)

In August 2006, sanctuary staff captured the first video of Christmas tree worms spawning. This occurred in the midst of the annual coral spawning event. The Christmas tree worms in this video are located in the middle of a brain coral colony that is also spawning. (0:59)

Credit: FGBNMS/Hickerson

top of page

Corals Spawning

During the mass coral spawning event in August each year, coral colonies of the Flower Garden Banks release thousands of egg and sperm bundles into the water, creating an underwater snowstorm. For more information about this annual event, please visit our Coral Spawning page.

This video begins with a male colony of great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) releasing smoky, white sperm then switches to a close-up view of a female colony of great star coral releasing egg bundles. The remainder of the video features star and brain coral species releasing beebee-like bundles of both egg and sperm: mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) with a red serpent brittle star (Ophioderma squamosissimus) perched on top; boulder star coral (Montastraea franksi); boulder star coral with a Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus); mountainous star coral; close-up of a star coral (Montastraea sp.); blushing star coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta); symmetrical brain coral (Diploria strigosa); a ruby brittle star (Ophioderma rubicundum) snaking its way across a colony of star coral with one arm wrapped around a bunch of egg bundles; egg bundles streaming off various colonies of star corals and rising through the water column; a diver disappearing into the darkness behind a "snowstorm" of egg bundles. (2:02)

Credit: FGBNMS/Hickerson, Schmahl

top of page

Sponges Spawning

Yes, sponges are really animals and they spawn too. However, unlike corals, they usually spawn during daylight hours, although we're still trying to figure out their exact timing. This video shows first a female then a male colony of the giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) followed by a male colony of the orange elephant ear sponge (Agelas clathrodes). The females look like snow blowers and the males are smokers. (0:32)

Credit: FGBNMS/Hickerson

top of page