Does coral morpholoy influence the richness and abundance of associated ophiuroids? An evaluation of differences in habitat structure provided by Mussismilia corals

Author(s)

Nogueira, Marcos M. ^[1] ; Neves, Elizabeth ^[1] ; Queiroz, Vinicius ^[2] ; Johnsson, Rodrigo ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Bahia, Inst Biol, LABIMAR Lab Invertebrados Marinhos Crustacea Cnid, Salvador, BA - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Fisiol, Inst Biociencias, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: CAHIERS DE BIOLOGIE MARINE; v. 61, n. 2, p. 219-227, 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Marine invertebrates are reported as habitats for other organisms. The variations in their morphological patterns may influence the associated fauna as they provide different environmental structures. Corals represent a good example of such invertebrates, due to the variation in their skeleton morphologies. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the richness and abundance of ophiuroids associated with three species of the coral genus Mussismilia that show different growth morphologies. Corals were systematically sampled by free diving in two different reef areas in Bahia State, the coral specimens were enclosed in plastic bags to avoid loss of the associated fauna and removed from substratum with a hammer and chisel. Significant difference is identified for richness among corals, higher values are reported in colonies of M. harttii and no statistical differences are reported between M. braziliensis and M. hispida. Considering the density, no statistical differences are achieved. The Redundancy Analysis indicates that almost all species are more frequently associated with M. harttii colonies, forming a distinct group from M. braziliensis and M. hispida. This analysis also indicates that the internal volume of interpolyp space is the most important factor, influencing the associated species; this feature is only observed in M. harttii colonies. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/14497-8 - Physiological function and origin of the spherulocytes in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)
• Grantee: Vinicius Queiroz Araújo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 15/21460-5 - Physiological function, chemical composition and ontogeny of Echinoid spherulocytes (Echinodermata).
• Grantee: Vinicius Queiroz Araújo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate