OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE SYMBIONT-BEARING FORAMINIFER AMPHISTEGINA LOBIFERA LARSEN, AN INVASIVE SPECIES IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS OF THE AEGEAN SEA (GREECE, E. MEDITERRANEAN)

Abstract

Research Article| April 01, 2012 OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE SYMBIONT-BEARING FORAMINIFER AMPHISTEGINA LOBIFERA LARSEN, AN INVASIVE SPECIES IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS OF THE AEGEAN SEA (GREECE, E. MEDITERRANEAN) Maria V. Triantaphyllou; Maria V. Triantaphyllou 3 1Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15784, Athens, Greece 3Correspondence author. E-mail: mtriant@geol.uoa.gr Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Margarita D. Dimiza; Margarita D. Dimiza 1Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15784, Athens, Greece Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Olga Koukousioura; Olga Koukousioura 1Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15784, Athens, Greece Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Pamela Hallock Pamela Hallock 2College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7thAve. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Maria V. Triantaphyllou 3 1Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15784, Athens, Greece Margarita D. Dimiza 1Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15784, Athens, Greece Olga Koukousioura 1Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15784, Athens, Greece Pamela Hallock 2College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, 140 7thAve. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 USA 3Correspondence author. E-mail: mtriant@geol.uoa.gr Publisher: Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research Received: 05 Jul 2011 Accepted: 21 Jan 2012 First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-264X Print ISSN: 0096-1191 © 2012 Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research Journal of Foraminiferal Research (2012) 42 (2): 143–150. https://doi.org/10.2113/gsjfr.42.2.143 Article history Received: 05 Jul 2011 Accepted: 21 Jan 2012 First Online: 13 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Maria V. Triantaphyllou, Margarita D. Dimiza, Olga Koukousioura, Pamela Hallock; OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE SYMBIONT-BEARING FORAMINIFER AMPHISTEGINA LOBIFERA LARSEN, AN INVASIVE SPECIES IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS OF THE AEGEAN SEA (GREECE, E. MEDITERRANEAN). Journal of Foraminiferal Research 2012;; 42 (2): 143–150. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gsjfr.42.2.143 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyJournal of Foraminiferal Research Search Advanced Search Abstract Members of the family Amphisteginidae have been nearly ubiquitous contributors to shelf carbonate facies through most of the Cenozoic. The most prolific carbonate producer of modern representatives is Amphistegina lobifera Larsen, which is the largest and shallowest dwelling of the Indo-Pacific taxa. This epiphytic, symbiont-bearing foraminifer is also a remarkably successful invasive species in coastal ecosystems of the eastern Mediterranean, where its shell production is altering the composition of shoreline sediment.This paper reports a temporal study of an A. lobifera population collected monthly between June 2008–May 2009 in the Vravron/Attica coastal ecosystem of the south Evoikos Gulf (Aegean Sea), where winter temperatures can drop below previously reported minima for the species. Monthly variations in size, frequency distribution, and abundance indicate that this population reproduced primarily during the summer (July–September), when both asexual and sexual reproduction occurred simultaneously, suggesting a predominantly coeval, one-year life span for each generation. However, a modest increase in juveniles in January indicates some winter reproduction.Comparison of these findings with previous studies shows that a) tolerance of low winter temperatures, b) adaptation of the life cycle to strong seasonality, and c) the mixotrophic feeding strategy have allowed A. lobifera to proliferate in the exceptionally clear, low nutrient, coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea. These attributes elucidate how previous Cenozoic populations of Amphistegina were able to rapidly expand their latitudinal ranges and invade shallow epeiric seas during episodes of climatic warming. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.