Seasonal Changes in the Amphipod Fauna of Microciona prolifera (Ellis and Solander) (Porifera: Demospongia) and Associated Sponges in a Shallow Salt-Marsh Creek

Abstract

Between September 1976 and August 1978, samples of four species of sponge,Microciona prolifera (Ellis and Solander),Haliclona loosanoffi Hartman,Lissodendoryx isodictyalis (Carter) andHalichondria bowerbanki Burton, were collected from subtidal shell debris in a North Edisto River, South Carolina saltmarsh creek and associated amphipods identified. Dominant spongicolous amphipods wereColomastix halichondriae Bousfield,Leucothoe spinicarpa (Abildgaard),Corophium simile Shoemaker,Corophium acherusicum Costa,Lembos cf.L. websteri Bate andMelita appendiculata (Say). Densities of amphipods inMicroclona prolifera andHalichondria bowerbanki usually exceeded those inLissodendoryx isodictyalis andHaliclona loosanoffi. Seasonal changes in amphipod dominance were however approximately the same in all sponge species. Winter dominance byCorophium spp., and on occasionLembos spp., is followed by spring dominance byMelita appendiculata and summer dominance byColomastix halichondriae. Harsher winter conditions in 1976–77 apparently resulted in more reduced populations of various sponge species as well asColomastix halichondriae andLeucothoe spinicarpa when compared with the following winter. With some exceptions during the winter, amphipod density inMicrociona prolifera generally decreased as sponge size increased. The range of gammarid amphipod densities inMicrociona prolifera was 128–724 individuals per 5 g (40.3 cm3) of sponge.