First record of native species of sponge overgrowing invasive corals Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis in Brazil

Meurer, Bruno Correa; Lages, Nicolas S.; Pereira, Oliver A.; Palhano, Samantha; Magalhães, Gabriela M.

doi:10.1017/s1755267210000527

Cited by 20 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…In this regard, Chalinula nematifera, a species native to the Indo-Pacific region, displays an active selection of the habitat, in that it has been recorded overgrowing the live ramified corals of the genus Pocillopora (94% vs 6% on rocks) in Mexican Pacific coastal regions [19] . By contrast, when corals are invasive, as in the case of Tubastrea coccinea and T. tagusensis , the sponge Desmapsamma anchorata may have a positive effect on the benthic community by overgrowing and killing the coral colonies; it thus constitutes an efficient curb against the invasiveness of these species [20] . Instead, on the Indonesian coral reefs, this epizoic sponge overgrows the octocoral Carijoa riisei , causing a morphological adaptation, which is limited to an irregular branching pattern of the coral and in the formation a dense nematocyst layer along the contact surface of the sponge [21] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life-Cycle Traits of Paraleucilla magna, a Calcareous Sponge Invasive in a Coastal Mediterranean Basin

et al. 2012

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The calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna, originally observed along the Brazilian coast (Atlantic Ocean), is the only allochthonous invasive species of Porifera reported in the Mediterranean Sea. A 1-year investigation of the population dynamics and life-cycle of this exotic species in the Mar Piccolo di Taranto (southern Italy, central Mediterranean Sea) has provided a good opportunity to test how environmental variations can influence its life-cycle and to ascertain what strategy can be adopted to successfully colonize a new environment. In the Mar Piccolo di Taranto, P. magna exhibits marked temporal changes in biomass. The studied specimens reproduce almost all year round, showing a seasonal pattern that peaks during warm months. This prolonged sexual activity allows P. magna to continuously produce young specimens, with repeated recruitment events taking place throughout the year, thus offsetting the seasonal mortality of adult specimens. This r-strategy enables the non-indigenous sponge to achieve a high degree of maintenance over relatively long periods (ten years at least).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life-Cycle Traits of Paraleucilla magna, a Calcareous Sponge Invasive in a Coastal Mediterranean Basin

et al. 2012

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“…The sponge D. anchorata is the only competitor reported to be capable of damaging or causing the death in Tubastraea spp. (Meurer et al 2010). The presence of D. anchorata effected the production of 5-bromoindole-3-carbaldehyde in Tubastraea spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Proximity to competitors changes secondary metabolites of non-indigenous cup corals, Tubastraea spp., in the southwest Atlantic

et al. 2012

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Competition for space changes species' distributions and community organization on tropical rocky shores, and the presence of secondary metabolites in the tissues of non-indigenous species may aid them in establishing and expanding their range through negative competitive interactions. The aim of this study was to describe the range of chemical substances produced by the nonindigenous cup corals Tubastraea coccinea and T. tagusensis and to test whether they varied in the field when the corals were placed in proximity to two local competitors. Cholest-5-en-3b-ol and 9-octadecanoic acid were two common secondary metabolites found in the tissues of Tubastraea. In the competition interaction experiment, necrosis was detected on the tissues of the coral Mussismilia hispida, and this species induced variation in sterol, alkaloid, and fatty acid production in Tubastraea tissues. In contrast, a sponge overgrew Tubastraea colonies. These results indicate that chemical defense may contribute to the ability of these non-indigenous corals to invade native communities.

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“…Within reef environments, generally sponges are better competitors for space than corals (Aerts, 1998;Pawlik, 2011), mostly due to their defense strategies (Wulff, 2006), as secondary metabolites, and overgrow ability (Aerts, 1998;Meurer et al, 2010). Sponges can negatively affect the recruitment and growth of hermatypic corals, as well as other important coral reefs processes (e.g., substrate construction) (Chadwick and Morrow, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spongivory by Fishes on Southwestern Atlantic Coral Reefs: No Evidence of Top-Down Control on Sponge Assemblages

et al. 2018

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Predator-prey dynamics can affect assemblage structure and ecosystem processes representing a central theory in ecology. In coral reef ecosystems, recent evidences have suggested that sponge assemblages in regions with high diversity, like the Caribbean, are controlled by reef fishes (i.e., top-down control); however, this has been poorly studied in low diversity coral reefs. This study investigated the influence of fish predators on sponge assemblage structure in South Atlantic coral reefs, systems with high endemism and relatively low hermatypic coral diversity. We investigates (i) whether sponge cover is negatively correlated to spongivorous fish density, (ii) potential spongivory effects on competitive interactions between sponges and hermatypic corals, and (iii) foraging preferences of spongivorous fishes. Benthic cover and spongivorous fish density were assessed by photo sampling and visual census, respectively. We did not observe a negative correlation of the total density of spongivorous fish with total sponge cover. However, a significant negative correlation between density of fish species Pomacanthus arcuatus and cover of sponge species Scopalina ruetzleri was found. Spongivorous fish consumed preferentially the sponges Desmapsamma anchorata, Niphates erecta, Aplysina cauliformis, and S. ruetzleri, the first two species considered palatable and the second two with chemically defense mechanism. An increase to angelfish density was not related with the number of coral-sponge encounters. Thus, the effects of spongivorous fishes on sponges cover and competitive interactions with hermatypic corals is weaker in Southwestern Atlantic than previously reported in Caribbean coral reefs. We discuss how local human impacts (e.g., fishing and nutrients input) can influence the observed patterns.

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First record of native species of sponge overgrowing invasive corals Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis in Brazil

Cited by 20 publications

References 4 publications

Life-Cycle Traits of Paraleucilla magna, a Calcareous Sponge Invasive in a Coastal Mediterranean Basin

Life-Cycle Traits of Paraleucilla magna, a Calcareous Sponge Invasive in a Coastal Mediterranean Basin

Proximity to competitors changes secondary metabolites of non-indigenous cup corals, Tubastraea spp., in the southwest Atlantic

Spongivory by Fishes on Southwestern Atlantic Coral Reefs: No Evidence of Top-Down Control on Sponge Assemblages

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