Abstract
Marine sponges are advantageous microhabitats because of their complex architecture. The system of internal canals provides circulation of water and deposition of particulate organic matter, ensuring availability of food and shelter. Diminutive amphipods have little difficulty penetrating the spaces of sponges and remain in their aquiferous systems as one of the most abundant taxa in this association. This study evaluated the temporal variation of the gammaridean amphipod species associated with the sponge Mycale angulosa. Sponge samples were collected every three months over one year at Pontal da Cruz Beach, Sao Sebastiao Channel, southeastern Brazil. The amphipod assembly varied over time, while the amphipod density and sponge biomass remained approximately constant. Six species contributed to the temporal variation infaunal composition, highlighting the importance of the natural history of each species.
Highlights
Marine sponges shelter many organisms that show commensal, mutual and even parasitic relationships with their host (Biernbaum, 1981)
This study evaluated the temporal variation of species of gammaridean amphipods associated with M. angulosa
11,525 amphipods associated with Mycale angulosa were collected, of which 4,196 were juveniles and were not included in the analysis
Summary
Marine sponges shelter many organisms that show commensal, mutual and even parasitic relationships with their host (Biernbaum, 1981). The fauna associated with sponges is sheltered from potential predators (Dalby, 1996; Huang et al, 2008; Fiore and Jutte, 2010) and adverse abiotic factors (Frith, 1976). Sponges provide a habitat for groups with varied life histories and feeding habits, including Nematoda, Polychaeta, Pycnogonida, Amphipoda, Decapoda and Ophiuroidea (Biernbaum, 1981; Voultsiadou-Koukoura et al, 1987; Duarte and Nalesso, 1996; Ribeiro et al, 2003), but polychaetes and crustaceans are the most frequent inhabitants (Abdo, 2007; Stofel et al, 2008; Fiore and Jutte, 2010). The availability and complexity of the host’s internal canal system can affect the composition, diversity and abundance of the endofauna, which are dependent on the available internal space (Morgado and Tanaka, 2001; Abdo, 2007)
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