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(Reference retrieved automatically from SciELO through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Structural variation in the brown alga Sargassum cymosum and its effects on associated amphipod assemblages

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Author(s):
FPP. Leite [1] ; MO. Tanaka [2] ; RS. Gebara [3]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Biologia. Departamento de Zoologia - Brasil
[2] Universidade Federal de São Carlos. Departamento de Hidrobiologia - Brasil
[3] Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Instituto de Biologia. Departamento de Zoologia - Brasil
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: Brazilian Journal of Biology; v. 67, n. 2, p. 215-221, 2007-05-00.
Abstract

The presence of diverse biological substrates adds complexity to coastal landscapes and increases the number of ecological niches that can be used by the mobile epifauna. Studies on the influence of structural complexity have focused mainly on algal host species, but there is little information about the influence of intraspecific structural variation on the associated mobile epifauna. In this work, we examined whether intraspecific variation in the brown alga Sargassum cymosum influenced the structure of amphipod assemblages on two shores with different wave exposure. At least 15 fronds were randomly sampled at Fortaleza and Perequê-Mirim beaches, on the Atlantic coast of São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, and 12 variables were measured for each alga. The amphipods were identified and counted. The greatest structural variation in S. cymosum occurred within shores, whereas the differences between shores were mainly related to algal size. These characteristics influenced amphipod assemblages differently on each shore, with the greatest effects being associated with variables related to morphological complexity, such as holdfast size, the number and size of branches, and the extent of cover by sessile colonial animals. These findings show that monospecific algal banks are not homogeneous, and that morphological differences and interactions with other biological substrates can influence the mobile epifaunal assemblages. (AU)