Thanks Tim,this is indeed a very interesting observation on the event at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, CA. There are still many things we don't know about broadcast spawners.
What is the meaning of individual spawning (gamete release, gamete leakage) when no other individuals are spawning in synchrony? We don't know. This is an event that occurs in aquaria (as you report, still following season and water temperature cues) and in the wild.
This type of individual spawning seems a waste of energy, as no fertilization will result from it. Yet, it occurs. In the wild, could this spawning [...]