Corals reproduce in two different ways - sexually and asexually. This distinguishment tends to be by species, but sometimes is by geographical region. Budding occurs commonly in some invertebrate animals such as corals and hydras. Heliofungia corals can reproduce sexually or asexually. During sexual reproduction, eggs and sperm are released into the water, where the fertilised egg develops into larvae. This is asexual reproduction and is called “fragmentation”. Corals reproduce sexually by either internal or external fertilization. All asexual reproduction — budding, parthenogenesis and coral bail out — result in clones being formed. Mass coral spawning. Reefs restored with corals created by sexual reproduction are likely to be more resilient, though managing this process hasn’t been easy for scientists to do. After a few … Many corals are able to spread across reef space by asexual means, such as fragmentation, but this results in clones of the same colony and does not increase the diversity or gene pool of the reef. Corals reproduce both sexually and asexually. Approximately 75% of stony corals are hermaphrodite, while others have separately sexed colonies or individuals. Within a fortnight, the larvae will settle on to hard substrate. Sexual reproduction. Euphyllia clones that dripped from the parent colony have settled in an aquarium of Gary Moss. Sexual reproduction diversifies the gene pool. At least one Goniopora species is known to be a brooder. Corals also reproduce sexually by “spawning”. Using sexual coral reproduction for reef restoration ('sexual coral restoration') requires expertise and initial research to understand reproduction of a specific species. However Reef Coral has different parts to budding unlike the Porifera phylum. Sexual reproduction can happen in two ways broadcast spawning and brooding. One of the most spectacular events to occur on the Great Barrier Reef is the annual synchronised spawning of corals. Externally fertilized eggs develop while adrift. It can be a useful addition to sexual techniques, for example for coral species that naturally reproduce asexually and sexually (staghorn corals, some Acropora spp.). Free-swimming larvae are released into the water and settle within hours. Coral colonies can be comprised of solely hermaphrodites, single sex individuals or a mix or male, female and hermaphrodite corals. This mass reproduction only happens once a year. Much like the Porifera phylum, coral reproduces asexually through budding and gemmules. Coral polyps reproduce sexually and asexually. Internally fertilized eggs are brooded by the polyp for days to weeks. These corals are also known to reproduce sexually, with broadcasting of gametes from separately-sexed (gonochoric) parent colonies. Most Reef Corals reproduce sexually, however they can reproduce asexually and become hermaphrodites. On a healthy reef, when corals break, the broken pieces can lodge in cracks and crevices and grow into new colonies that are clones of the parent. Sexual Reproduction. Like many marine invertebrates, corals have a two-phase life cycle, a planktonic larval phase and a sessile adult phase, where most species live attached to the reef. One way is sexually through spawning, when the corals release eggs and sperm into the water (often at the same time due to some sort of trigger).External sexual reproduction occurs when colonies of coral release huge numbers of eggs and sperm that are often glued into bundles (one bundle per polyp) that float towards the surface. 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