Tube‐dwelling Meiofauna in Marine Sediments

Abstract

Tube-dwelling has been recognized PreViOuSlY as a life-style for several meiobenthic species, but behavioural observation of living specimens has rarely been reported. The extent to which tubebuilding and tube-dwelling occurs within meiofaUna, and how they have influenced evolutionary and ecological processes as well as morphology within these oymisnis. is relatively unknown but potentially of great significance. In addition to direct obse.wation of tube-building and the occurence of tubes in natural habitats, the internal anatomy associated with tube-building in two nematode species (Ptycholaimellus jacobi, P. ponticus) and one harpacticoid copepod species (Stenheliapalustris) is the focus of this study. Special attention is given to the Secretory products, glands, and their association with secretory pores. Also, the role of meiobenthic tube-dwelling activities in relationship to their environment is extensive discussed.

Biological modifiers of marine benthic seascapes: Their role as ecosystem engineers

“…Many marine benthic meiofauna construct microscale burrows in sandy and muddy sediments, and in these the sediment particles are bound together by extracellular polymeric materials secreted by the organisms themselves (Nehring et al, 1990;Reichelt, 1991;Nehring, 1993;Pike et al, 2001). Some of these burrows may be important in determining water flow at a very small scale in sediments, which in turn will influence the abundance and distribution of microorganisms.…”

Substrate-dependent bacterivory by intertidal benthic copepods

“…Nannopus palustris (family Huntemanniidae) and Delavalia palustris (formerly known as Stenhelia palustris, family Miraciidae), are large epi-endobenthic copepods (~ 0.6-0.8 mm length, Lang 1948). Nannopus is a burrower (Santos et al 2003), while Delavalia is a tube-dweller and tube-builder (Nehring 1993); both species have good swimming abilities and are quite mobile (C. Cnudde pers observ). Copepod species will further be referred to by their genus names.…”

“…Moreover, this is the only species out of the four species tested that showed high abundances of oddbranched bacterial biomarker FA (C15:0, C17:0, C17:lm7). Delavalia is a typical tube-builder and tubedweller (Nehring 1993) and covers the inner tube wall with a mucoid substance secreted by cuticular glands (Williams-Howze and Fleeger 1987). Mucus secretion and the pres ence of secretory mucus glands have been reported for only a few harpacticoid copepods: Heteropsyllus nunni (Coull and Grant 1981), Pseudostenhelia sp.…”

A novel leaf-rolling chironomid, Eukiefferiella endobryonia sp. nov. (Diptera, Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae), highlights the diversity of underwater chironomid tube structures

“…Many aquatic animals build biogenic structures, such as burrows, tubes, and cases (Chamberlain 1975). Construction behavior has evolved in a taxonomically diverse array of animals, including Protozoa, Mollusca, Annelida, Polychaeta, Crustacea, Echinodermata, fishes, and Nematoda (Nehring et al 1990;Dudgeon 1994;Charbonneau and Hare 1998;Nehring 1993;Merz 2015). Dwelling tubes can be preserved as ichnofossils and provide evidence for activities by organisms over geological time (Chamberlain 1975;Gall 1983;Minter et al 2016).…”