Habitat preference and role of Ophiuroidea in the intertidal community of Saurashtra coast, Gujarat, India

Abstract

The role of brittle stars is explained in this study, concerning the interactive effects with various habitats, for resolving the relationship between community dynamics and ecosystem functions in heterogenous intertidal habitats. The study was conducted at the rocky intertidal area of Veraval (210 35'N, 690 36'E) of the Kathiawar peninsula, Gujarat, India. Habitats containing sponge, coral community, zoanthid community and coralline algae were studied to understand the key preference and role of ophiuroid in these intertidal communities.Ophiuroids act as habitat responder largely due to their being one of the most common and abundant groups. Amongst all studied ophiuroid species, Ohiactic savignyi is the only species which interacted with all selected sedentary habitats.Macrophiothrix variabilis was occasionally observed within crevices of coral colonies. A. squamata was primarily occurred with coralline algae followed by coral community. Ophiocomella sexradia was observed within the crevices of coral and zoanthid colonies. From the present study, we concluded that brittle stars mainly rely on other host organisms for their protection, food and shelter. The studied ophiuroids exhibited mutualistic and obligatory commensalism relationship with their host.