Figure 3. Representative photographs illustrating the typical colonial architectures developed from isolated branches of the seven Stylophora pistillata genotypes used in this study.

(A) Experiment 1: genotype C (CI, a single tip; CII, initial dichotomous tip; CIII, dichotomous tip), depicting the typical colonial architectures developed from branches of genotypes A–D. Bold arrows delineate major growth axes, solid arrows- directionality of N2 branches, dashed arrows- directionality of N3, N4 branches.

(B). Experiment 2: genotype F (FI, a single tip; FII, fused double tip; FIII, crossed double tip), depicting the typical colonial architectures developed from branches of genotypes E–G. Dashed circle–the spherical dimension of the colony created by its maximum width and maximum length.