Abstract
Among symbiotic associations, cases of pseudo-auto-epizoism, in which a species uses a resembling but not directly related species as substrate, are poorly documented in coral reef ecosystems. In the present study, we assessed the distribution of an association between the hydrocorals Stylaster roseus and Millepora alcicornis on about 50% of coral reef sites studied in Bonaire, southern Caribbean. Although previously thought to be uncommon, associations between the lace coral S. roseus and the fire coral M. alcicornis were observed at both the windward and leeward sides of Bonaire, mainly between 15 and 25 m depth, reaching a maximum occupation of 47 S. roseus colonies on a single M. alcicornis colony. Both species’ tissues did not show any signs of injuries, while an in-depth inspection of the contact points of their skeletons revealed that both partners can partially overgrow each other. How it is possible that S. roseus is able to settle on the stinging tissue of Millepora as well as how, by contrast, the latter may facilitate the lace coral by offering a certain degree of protection are questions that deserve further investigations.
Highlights
As one of the most species-rich marine ecosystems, coral reefs are renowned for their plethora of different interspecific associations [1]
We investigated the distribution and abundance of the association between Stylaster roseus (Pallas, 1766) and Millepora alcicornis Linnaeus, 1758 found during a biodiversity expedition conducted at Bonaire, in the Dutch Caribbean
The total numbers of colonies of S. roseus found to grow on each M. alcicornis colony were noted
Summary
As one of the most species-rich marine ecosystems, coral reefs are renowned for their plethora of different interspecific associations [1]. Reef-building corals serve as home for diverse assemblages of macro- and micro-organisms from all kingdoms of life [2], which rely on them for food, shelter and substrate [3,4,5]. Reef-building corals belonging to the order Scleractinia account for the majority of host species studied [3], other hosts of other benthic groups exist, such us anthozoans, bryozoans, sponges, ascidians and hydrocorals. Regarding hydrocorals (Class Hydrozoa), the genus Millepora Linnaeus, 1758 (Suborder Capitata) occurs as a circumtropical component of shallow-water coral reefs [6,7,8,9,10,11]. The three-dimensional structural complexity of the colonies generated by in particular branching Millepora species harbors a great diversity of organisms that includes crustaceans, worms, fishes and other organisms that live in close association [12,13,14]
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