. 2018 Aug 27;8:12823. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-31262-3

Table 1.

Photosynthetic parameters in different octocoral species.

Parameter	Sea fan	Sea plumes		Sea whips		Sea rods				One-way ANOVA
Parameter	G. ventalina	A. bipinnata	A. americana	P. anceps	P. citrina	Eunicea sp.	E. mammosa	E. tourneforti	P. nutans	F	p
per g AFDW ⁻¹
P_max	301 ± 15^a	210 ± 21^b	182 ± 4^c	306 ± 10^a	77 ± 3^d	48 ± 6^de	35 ± 2^e	28 ± 5^e	68 ± 6^d	139.4	<0.0001
α	0.49 ± 0.03^a	0.26 ± 0.04^b	0.32 ± 0.01^b	0.46 ± 0.05^a	0.12 ± 0.01^c	0.07 ± 0.01^c	0.06 ± 0.003^c	0.04 ± 0.005^c	0.1 ± 0.01^c	63.4	<0.0001
R_D	64 ± 8^a	39 ± 10^b	38 ± 2^b	61 ± 3^a	11 ± 1^c	9 ± 1^c	5 ± 1^c	7 ± 1^c	11 ± 1^c	34.9	<0.0001
R_L	85 ± 7^a	56 ± 7^b	57 ± 2^b	85 ± 4^a	18 ± 1^d	15 ± 2^d	10 ± 1^d	10 ± 2^d	16 ± 1^d	88.5	<0.0001
per cell ⁻¹ *10 ⁻⁶
P_max	2.4 ± 0.2^ab	2.1 ± 0.4^ac	2.9 ± 0.4^b	1.5 ± 0.1 ^cd	1.5 ± 0.2^d	0.87 ± 0.01^d	1.0 ± 0.1^d	1.1 ± 0.1^d	1.4 ± 0.1 ^cd	11.35	<0.0001
α (x10⁻²)	0.41 ± 0.04^a	0.28 ± 0.003^b	0.47 ± 0.06^a	0.21 ± 0.02^bc	0.23 ± 0.02^bc	0.12 ± 0.01^c	0.22 ± 0.03^bc	0.16 ± 0.03^bc	0.23 ± 0.03^b	15.07	<0.0001
E_c	131 ± 17^abc	156 ± 16^ab	120 ± 5^ac	138 ± 11^abc	98 ± 5^c	116 ± 16^ac	88 ± 17^c	172 ± 16^b	112 ± 16^ac	4.7	0.00036
E_k	588 ± 28^a	789 ± 56^a	577 ± 27^a	716 ± 53^a	663 ± 23^a	601 ± 82^a	613 ± 48^a	669 ± 71^a	678 ± 51^a	2.2	0.0466
P_int	2.44 ± 0.2^a	1.34 ± 0.2^b	1.56 ± 0.02^b	2.58 ± 0.2^a	0.63 ± 0.02^c	0.38 ± 0.05 ^cd	0.26 ± 0.03^d	0.22 ± 0.03^d	0.54 ± 0.07^fcd	95.6	<0.0001
R_(RL:RD)	1.79 ± 0.2^a	0.98 ± 0.12^b	1.14 ± 0.04^b	1.81 ± 0.06^a	0.35 ± 0.01^c	0.30 ± 0.02^c	0.17 ± 0.02^c	0.21 ± 0.04^c	0.31 ± 0.02^c	118.7	<0.0001
P_int/R_(24h)	1.7 ± 0.2^ab	1.6 ± 0.2^b	1.7 ± 0.1^ab	1.7 ± 0.1^ab	2.3 ± 0.1^a	1.9 ± 0.3^ab	1.8 ± 0.2^ab	1.3 ± 0.1^b	1.8 ± 0.2^ab	3.50	0.0035
P_int/R_(RL:RD)	1.4 ± 0.1^abc	1.3 ± 0.1^ab	1.4 ± 0.1^abc	1.5 ± 0.1^bc	1.8 ± 0.02^d	1.4 ± 0.1^abc	1.2 ± 0.1^ab	1.1 ± 0.1^a	1.6 ± 0.2 ^cd	6.39	<0.0001
H_sat	6.25	3.5	6.25	4.25	5.0	5.0	6.25	5.5	5

Data represent mean ± SE and significant differences between species (ANOVA, Newman-Keuls test, p < 0.05) are indicated by different superscript letters.

Maximum gross photosynthesis (P_max), dark respiration (R_D) and post-illuminatory respiration (R_L) in μmol O₂ h⁻¹, α-photosynthetic efficiency in μmol O₂ h⁻¹ [μmol quanta m⁻² s⁻¹]⁻¹, E_c and E_k - compensatory and saturating light intensity, respectively, in μmol quanta m⁻² s⁻¹, P_int (day⁻¹) – daily integrated photosynthesis (see Fig. S4) (in mmol O₂ g⁻¹ AFDW), R_(24h) – daily integrated respiration, based on R_D (in mmol O₂ g⁻¹ AFDW), R_(RL:RD) – daily integrated respiration considering 12 h:12 h cycle for R_L:R_D (in mmol O₂ g⁻¹ AFDW), P^/R_(24h) - ratio of daily integrated photosynthesis (see Fig. S4) to 24 h R_D, P/R_(RL:RD) – ratio of daily integrated photosynthesis to respiration (12 h:12 h cycle for R_L:R_D), H_sat – daily hours above average E_k, considering light data from the field averaged over the sample collection month (September; see example in Fig. S4).