Host specialization of an obligate sponge-dwelling brittlestar

Abstract

On coral reefs off the Florida Keys (USA), the obligate sponge-dwelling brittlestar Ophiothrix lineata lives almost exclusively in the tube sponge Callyspongia vaginalis. We examined chemotactic recognition by O. lineata to assess sponge host preferences using a Y-tube assay chamber. O. lineata preferentially selected seawater conditioned by C. vaginalis relative to seawater controls and showed no preference for seawater conditioned by the infrequent host sponge Niphates digitalis or the non-host sponge Aplysina archeri. When offered seawater conditioned by C. vaginalis and N. digitalis, O. lineata preferentially chose C. vaginalis. Field manipulations examined growth of O. lineata confined to live in all 3 sponge species and the impact of habitat size on growth of O. lineata living in C. vaginalis. Growth of O. lineata was significantly greater in longer (12 cm) tubes of C. vaginalis than in shorter (6 cm) tubes, and while O. lineata was able to survive in A. archeri, growth was greater for brittlestars living in C. vaginalis and N. digitalis. Surveys of O. lineata in C. vaginalis revealed that 74.3% of sponges had at least 1 male and female brittlestar, with 37.1% of sponges having a greater proportion of males, which may increase brittlestar fertilization success. Abundance of O. lineata increased with sponge size and did not differ based on the presence of brooded larvae in sponge tissue. The obligate association of O. lineata with C. vaginalis likely evolved as a consequence of some combination of host abundance, enhanced food availability, and greater probability of mating success in the multi-tubed sponge. KEY WORDS: Host specificity · Chemotaxis · Ophiothrix lineata · Callyspongia vaginalis Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherAquat Biol 12: [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] 2011 pheus is most likely a function of space partitioning based on sponge morphology, competitive interactions between shrimp species, the eusocial behavior of several species, and the direct development and short dispersal distances of larvae (Duffy 1992, 1996b, Macdonald et al. 2006.The pattern of host use observed in alpheid shrimp is probably one of many, considering the abundance and diversity of sponges and their associated fauna (reviewed by Wulff 2006). The sponge-dwelling brittlestar Ophiothrix lineata is a species-specific obligate living in association with the tube sponge Callyspongia vaginalis (Henkel & Pawlik 2005). Although O. lineata has been observed living in association with other sponges at low frequency (Kissling & Taylor 1977, Hendler et al. 1995, Henkel & Pawlik 2005, surveys of sponges in the Florida Keys, USA, recorded O. lineata living in C. vaginalis 99% of the time, despite the presence of similarly shaped tube sponges that could provide refuge (Henkel & Pawlik 2005). The association between O. lineata and C. vaginalis has been described as a cleaning mutualism, with O. lineata deposit-feeding on the surface of the sponge (Hendler 1984). Compari...

Multiple environmental cues impact habitat choice during nocturnal homing of specialized reef shrimp

“…The association of eight L. pederseni individuals with A. fistularis in the patch reefs indicates that the secondary metabolites produced by this sponge are not acutely toxic to the shrimp; however, as seen with other sponge-dwelling species, these secondary metabolites could have chronic effects (Henkel and Pawlik 2011). The growth rate of the brittle star, Ophiothrix lineata , was significantly reduced when experimentally forced to reside in a sponge species that produces secondary metabolites rather than in a preferred nondefended sponge (Henkel and Pawlik 2011). The selection of A. fistularis by peppermint shrimp in the patch reef also supports the idea that sponge morphology has a greater influence than sponge chemistry on short-term habitat selection.…”

Bimbingan Teknis Transplantasi Spons Laut pada Masa Covid 19 sebagai Prospek Bahan Baku Farmasi

“…Spons juga memiliki kandungan bioaktif berbagai jenis produksi metabolit sekunder yang dapat menjadi media interaksi spons dengan orgnasime lain (Schmidt 2008). Pori-pori dari spons ini berfungsi sebagai tempat yang baik bagi organisme kecil untuk berlindung ataupun ataupun memperoleh makanan dari air yang masuk (Henkel & Pawlik 2011).…”

Sponge-dwelling fauna: a review of known species from the Northwest Tropical Atlantic coral reefs

“…The present database compile 65 articles ( Baeza et al 2016 , Carrera-Parra and Vargas-Hernández 1997 , Chace 1972 , Chavarro et al 2004 , Böhlke and Robinson 1969 , Cházaro-Olvera and Vázquez-López 2014 , Christoffersen 1972 , Coutière 1909 , Coutière 1910 , Crocker and Reiswig 1981 , Crowe and Thomas 2002 , D'Aloia et al 2011 , Dardeau 1981 , Dardeau 1984 , Dauer 1973 , Duffy 1992 , Duffy 1996a , Duffy 1996b , Duffy 1996c , Duffy 1998 , Duffy and Macdonald 1999 , Erdman and Blake 1987 , García-Hernández and Hoeksema 2017 , Hendler 1984 , Henkel and Pawlik 2005 , Henkel and Pawlik 2011 , Henkel and Pawlik 2014 , Herrick 1981 , Hultgren and Duffy 2010 , Huang et al 2008 , Hultgren et al 2011 , Hultgren et al 2010 , Lattig and Martin 2009 , Lattig and Martín 2011 , LeCroy 1995 , Macdonald and Duffy 2006 , Macdonald et al 2009 , Macdonald et al 2006 , Montenegro-González and Acosta 2010 , Ortiz et al 2011 , Ortiz et al 2013 , Paerse 1932 , Pearse 1950 , Pawlik 2011 , Pequegnat and Heard 1979 , Randall and Lobel 2009 , Rebolledo et al 2014 , Reimer et al 2018 , Richards et al 2007 , Rios and Duffy 1999 , Robertson and Tassell 2019 , …”

“…Sponges tend to be particularly abundant and diverse in coral reef ecosystems. Their architecture, morphology and capability to synthesise toxic substances can generate microhabitats where other species may live or have an adaptive advantage to explore ( Bruce and Jones 1976 , Duffy 1992 , Henkel and Pawlik 2011 , Pawlik 2011 , Maldonado et al 2017 , Reyes-Bonilla and Jordán-Dahlgren 2017 , Koukouras et al 1995 , Maldonado and Young 1996 , Diaz and Rützler 2001 , Ríos and Duffy 2007 ).…”