Disentangling the spatial distributions of a sponge-dwelling fish and its host sponge

Lesneski, Kathryn C; D'Aloia, Cassidy; Fortin, Marie‐Josée; Buston, Peter M.

doi:10.1007/s00227-019-3517-1

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Aggregation, recorded in all three taxa here, was documented in Funisia and Parvancorina populations collected from the Ediacara Hills, South Australia (Coutts et al 2018;Mitchell et al 2020). The prevalence of aggregation for many of the White Sea taxa is consistent with modern marine benthic invertebrates, whose populations are often aggregated as a result of reproductive or environmental controls (e.g., Schmidt 1982;Keough 1984;Carlon and Olson 1993;Rodríguez et al 1993;Miron et al 1999;Manríquez and Castilla 2007;Ambroso et al 2013;Hooper and Eichhorn 2016;Lesneski et al 2019;De los Ríos and Carreño 2020;Rodriguez-Perez et al 2020). Furthermore, Charniodiscus and Fractofusus from the Avalon Assemblage and Ernietta from the Nama Assemblage in Namibia (Gibson et al 2019(Gibson et al , 2021Mitchell et al 2019) have been shown to exhibit aggregation, indicating that this spatial pattern was present, or even common, throughout the Ediacara Biota.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

“…While pelagic larval stages are the most common type of dispersal for sessile benthic marine invertebrates, other reproductive strategies can result in habitat or range restrictions. In modern ecosystems, certain sponges have short dispersal ranges based on a combination of asexual budding and habitat preference that result in aggregated patterns (Lesneski et al 2019). As was the case with Rugoconites , it is imprudent to attempt to predict the dispersal range of an organism using a surface limited to 22.4 m 2 , when modern dispersal can range from centimeters to kilometers in scale (Jenkins 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Benthic marine invertebrates that reproduce sexually can exhibit strong aggregation related to dispersal and/or settlement mechanisms. Specifically, three methods result in strong aggregation: habitat-selective larval stages, short-lived/dispersed larval stages, and/or a preference for being near conspecifics (Carlon and Olson 1993; Lesneski et al 2019). While Rugoconites is more common in the ORS Facies, it is found in numerous environments with no apparent preference for substrate, suggesting that a selective larval stage is unlikely.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3). In both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, aggregation (also described as clustering or clumping) is by far the most common distribution, often resulting from dispersal limitations and/or environmental controls (Carlon and Olson 1993; Karlson et al 1996; He and Legendre 2002; Franklin and Santos 2010; Lin et al 2011; Carrer et al 2018; Lesneski et al 2019; Ben-Said 2021; Fig. 3A).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial distributions of Tribrachidium, Rugoconites, and Obamus from the Ediacara Member (Rawnsley Quartzite), South Australia

Boan¹,

Evans²,

Hall³

et al. 2023

Paleobiology

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The spatial distribution of in situ sessile organisms, including those from the fossil record, provides information about life histories, such as possible dispersal and/or settlement mechanisms, and how taxa interact with one another and their local environments. At Nilpena Ediacara National Park (NENP), South Australia, the exquisite preservation and excavation of 33 fossiliferous bedding planes from the Ediacara Member of the Rawnsley Quartzite reveals in situ communities of the Ediacara Biota. Here, the spatial distributions of three relatively common taxa, Tribrachidium, Rugoconites, and Obamus, occurring on excavated surfaces were analyzed using spatial point pattern analysis. Tribrachidium have a variable spatial distribution, implying that settlement or post-settlement conditions/preferences had an effect on populations. Rugoconites display aggregation, possibly related to their reproductive methods in combination with settlement location availability at the time of dispersal and/or settlement. Additionally, post-settlement environmental controls could have affected Rugoconites on other surfaces, resulting in lower populations and densities. Both Tribrachidium and Rugoconites also commonly occur as individuals or in low numbers on a number of beds, thus constraining possible reproductive strategies and environmental/substrate preferences. The distribution of Obamus is consistent with selective settlement, aggregating near conspecifics and on substrates of mature microbial mat. This dispersal process is the first example of substrate-selective dispersal among the Ediacara Biota, thus making Obamus similar to numerous modern sessile invertebrates with similar dispersal and settlement strategies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Spatial distributions of Tribrachidium, Rugoconites, and Obamus from the Ediacara Member (Rawnsley Quartzite), South Australia

Boan¹,

Evans²,

Hall³

et al. 2023

Paleobiology

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“…Using these imaging techniques, we can assess the habitat distribution with full coverage and carry out a census of all organisms present, which is required to undertake PPA. PPA, for example, has been used to quantify and characterise species-host relationships and clustering of host sponges and associated Goby species in shallow-water coral reefs (Lesneski et al, 2019). On an even finer scale, single images were used to identify clustering patterns of the acorn barnacle, Semibalanus balanoides, which was driven by life history and competition (Hooper and Eichhorn, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine-Scale Heterogeneity of a Cold-Water Coral Reef and Its Influence on the Distribution of Associated Taxa

Price

Callaway

et al. 2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Benthic fauna form spatial patterns which are the result of both biotic and abiotic processes, which can be quantified with a range of landscape ecology descriptors. Fine- to medium-scale spatial patterns (<1–10 m) have seldom been quantified in deep-sea habitats, but can provide fundamental ecological insights into species’ niches and interactions. Cold-water coral reefs formed by Desmophyllum pertusum (syn. Lophelia pertusa) and Madrepora oculata are traditionally mapped and surveyed with multibeam echosounders and video transects, which limit the ability to achieve the resolution and/or coverage to undertake fine-scale, centimetric quantification of spatial patterns. However, photomosaics constructed from imagery collected with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are becoming a prevalent research tool and can reveal novel information at the scale of individual coral colonies. A survey using a downward facing camera mounted on a ROV traversed the Piddington Mound (Belgica Mound Province, NE Atlantic) in a lawnmower pattern in order to create 3D reconstructions of the reef with Structure-from-Motion techniques. Three high resolution orthorectified photomosaics and digital elevation models (DEM) >200 m2 were created and all organisms were geotagged in order to illustrate their point pattern. The pair correlation function was used to establish whether organisms demonstrated a clustered pattern (CP) at various scales. We further applied a point pattern modelling approach to identify four potential point patterns: complete spatial randomness (CSR), an inhomogeneous pattern influenced by environmental drivers, random clustered point pattern indicating biologically driven clustering and an inhomogeneous clustered point pattern driven by a combination of environmental drivers and biological effects. Reef framework presence and structural complexity determined inhabitant distribution with most organisms showing a departure from CSR. These CPs are likely caused by an affinity to local environmental drivers, growth patterns and restricted dispersion reproductive strategies within the habitat across a range of fine to medium scales. These data provide novel and detailed insights into fine-scale habitat heterogeneity, showing that non-random distributions are apparent and detectable at these fine scales in deep-sea habitats.

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Importance of complex sponges as habitat and feeding substrata for coral reef fishes

Coppock,

Kingsford,

Jones

2024

Mar Biol

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Coral reef fishes are usually assumed to be most strongly associated with reef-building corals. However, sponges can be a significant structural component of coral reef ecosystems and their framework can enhance the local abundance and biodiversity of fish assemblages. Little is known regarding the range of fish species using complex sponges as either shelter or feeding substrata. Here we use a combination of stationary video cameras and focal animal sampling to document fish species positively associated with complex sponges in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. Stationary cameras identified 45 fish species using the sponges for either shelter, feeding substrata or as sites for ambush predation. A guild of 10 individual fish species from five families (Blenniidae, Chaetodontidae, Gobiidae, Labridae and Pomacentridae) were observed to quantify sponge and other habitat use and compared with habitat availability to determine the level of sponge selectivity. One species, Pleurosicya elongata (the Slender Spongegoby), lived in obligate association with Ianthella basta (Elephant Ear sponge), and there was a positive relationship between sponge size and number of resident fish, however this was not significant for all life stages. Five other fish species appeared to preferentially select sponges as habitat (Amblyglyphidodon aureus, Chaetodon kleinii, Coradion chrysozonus, Escenius prooculis and Pomacentrus nigromanus), while for others, sponge use appeared incidental. When selectivity indices were calculated for specific sponge species it was apparent that some fishes exhibited preferences for particular sponge species or growth forms. These results suggest more fish species may be reliant on sponges than is widely appreciated.

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Disentangling the spatial distributions of a sponge-dwelling fish and its host sponge

Cited by 5 publications

References 38 publications

Spatial distributions of Tribrachidium, Rugoconites, and Obamus from the Ediacara Member (Rawnsley Quartzite), South Australia

Spatial distributions of Tribrachidium, Rugoconites, and Obamus from the Ediacara Member (Rawnsley Quartzite), South Australia

Fine-Scale Heterogeneity of a Cold-Water Coral Reef and Its Influence on the Distribution of Associated Taxa

Importance of complex sponges as habitat and feeding substrata for coral reef fishes

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