A new method for the culture of marine sponges and its application for experimental studies

Abstract

Abstract To date only few ecophysiological studies with marine sponges have been reponed because of difficulties in keeping these animals in the laboratory. In this paper, a new approach to successful longterm maintenance will be presented. When dean pieces of freshly collected Halichondria panicea without any algal or other remnants were mounted on glass slides or suspended from nylon threads, they attached to the anificial substrates within one week. Longlasting survival was highest (nearly 100%) with the suspended material. After feeding with suspensions of Chlorella sp., growth could be measured; growth preferably took place along the substrates (on slides extending in a flat encrustation, on nylon threads preferably in an unidirectional manner. These artificially multiplied sponges could be used for comparative srudies of the physiological potential of the species. North Sea specimens possessed higher metabolic rates at the experimental temperatures of 10 and 15°C in comparison with those from the Baltic Sea. Respiration rates depended directly on partial pressure of oxygen, thus indicating that Halichondria panicea belongs to the conformer type in this respect.