Living in a potentially toxic environment: comparisons of endofauna in two congeneric sponges from the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

The abundance and community composition of the endofauna in 2 species of sponge, Haliclona sp. 1 and Haliclona sp. 2 (phylum Porifera: order Haplosclerida), were examined at different sites on the slope at Heron Island Reef, in the southern Great Barrier Reef, on 2 separate occasions. Both species of Haliclona occupy similar habitats on the reef slope and are often found living adjacent to each other, but the major groups of secondary metabolites and the gross external morphology in the 2 species of sponge are different. The 2 species of sponge supported significantly different endofaunal communities, with Haliclona sp. 2 supporting 3 to 4 times more individuals than Haliclona sp. 1. Fewer demersal zooplankton (copepods), nematodes and some peracarid crustaceans were found in Haliclona sp. 1 compared with Haliclona sp. 2. There were also differences in the numbers of spionid, nereidid and syllid polychaetes living in the 2 species of sponge. The only taxon that was more abundant in Haliclona sp. 1 than Haliclona sp. 2 was the spionid Polydorella prolifera, and this difference was only evident on 1 of the 2 occasions. The amount of free space (pores, channels, cavities) for a given weight of sponge was only 19% greater in Haliclona sp. 2 than in Haliclona sp. 1, suggesting other factors, such as the differences in the allelochemicals, may have a role in determining the numbers and types of animals living in these 2 species of sponge.

Associated organisms inhabiting the calcareous spongeClathrina luteain La Parguera Natural Reserve, Puerto Rico

“…2 and 3), belonging to the Phyla Arthropoda, Annelida, Mollusca, Nematoda, and Echinodermata with the most abundant classes represented by Crustacea and Polychaeta (Table 1). The taxonomic resolution, to the ordinal rank yielded similar patterns and associated taxa between C. lutea and other sponges belonging to the class Demospongiae, with crustaceans being the most abundant (Pease 1950; Pansini 1970; Rützler 1976; Koukouras et al 1985; Voultsiadou-Koukoura et al 1987; Villamizar and Laughlin 1991; Koukouras et al 1992; Ribeiro et al 2003; Skilleter et al 2005; Abdo 2007; Palpandi et al 2007; Huang et al 2008; Greene 2008; Schejter et al 2012; Kersken et al 2014; and Gerovasileiou et al 2016). However, several other studies reported in Appendix 1 of Schejter et al (2012) found Polychaetes to be the most abundant associated organisms.…”

“…Most of the studies regarding marine sponges and their associated fauna have focused on the class Demospongiae; perhaps because 86% of the extant Porifera are Demospongiae (van Soest et al, 2016). Among the most significant reports concerning demosponge-associated fauna were those of Santucci (1922), Pearse (1932, 1950), Fishelson (1966), Long (1968), Pansini (1970), Sube (1970), Labate & D’Addaboo (1974), Rützler (1976), Peattie & Hoare (1981), Koukouras et al (1985), Wendt et al (1985), Voultsiadou-Koukoura et al (1987), Koukouras et al (1992), Klitgaard (1995), Koukouras et al (1996), Duffy (1996), Magnino et al (1999), Ribeiro et al (2003), Skilleter et al (2005), Abdo (2007), Palpandi et al (2007), Huang et al (2008), Greene (2008), Schejter et al (2012), Sivadas et al (2014), and Schönberg et al (2015). Of the mentioned studies regarding the associated organisms of demosponges, the most represented phyla are Arthropoda, Annelida, Mollusca, Nematoda, and Echinodermata and the most abundant classes are Crustacea, Polychaeta, and Ophiuroidea.…”

Spionidae (Annelida) from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia: the genera Aonides, Dipolydora, Polydorella, Prionospio, Pseudopolydora, Rhynchospio, and Tripolydora

“…(=Pseudopolydora sp. ), and Skilleter et al (2005) reported Polydorella prolifera Augener, 1914 inhabiting sponge Haliclona sp.…”

Sponge community composition in the Derawan Islands, NE Kalimantan, Indonesia

“…Sponges have often been left out of biodiversity surveys because of difficulties in identifying taxa, even at higher taxonomic levels. They are, however, an important coral reef benthic group, and play a key role in nutrient cycling, water filtering, bioerosion, reef stabilization, spatial competition and as habitat for other reef invertebrates (Aerts & van Soest 1997, Skilleter et al 2005, Wulff 2006, Bell 2008. The loss of sponge species could accelerate declines in coral reefs as they are fundamental in increasing water clarity, binding live corals to the reef frame and facilitating reef regeneration (Wulff 2006, Bell 2008.…”