Structure and ecological function of the epibiotic community associated with two sponge speciesof the genus Geodia in a seagrass meadows ofthe southern Gulf of Mexico
Keywords:
Epibionts, marine sponges, Gulf of Mexico, sedimentation, benthic associationsAbstract
Marine sponges stand out for their ability to harbor a wide diversity and abundance of epibionts and endobionts, with which they can establish different types of ecological relationships. In Thalassia testudinum meadows of Isla del Carmen (Campeche), two sponge species of the genus Geodia were taxonomically identified, along with the species composition of their epibiotic community and its potential ecological role within this association. The epibiont community (species richness, diversity, and relative abundance) and the percentage of similarity between individuals of these two basibiont sponge species were characterized, and an in situ experiment was conducted to determine whether epibionts provide protection against predation. The basibiont sponges were identified as Geodia cf. tumulosa and G. media var. leptorhaphes, constituting the first record of both species for the southern Gulf of Mexico. In the five specimens examined, a total of 95 epibiotic organisms were recorded, belonging to 25 species from six animal taxa and two plant divisions. Epibiont diversity (H') was 1.9 for Geodia cf. tumulosa and 1.94 for G. media var. leptorhaphes. Poriferans represented the most diverse group, whereas colonial ascidians were the most abundant, accounting for 45% of the epibionts´ wet weight. The percentage of similarity between the epibiotic communities of both sponge species was 57.9% (11 shared species). A significant correlation was detected between sponge size and epibiont richness. Experimentally, sponges that were deprived of epibionts showed no signs of predation but accumulated a fine sediment layer (~3 mm), suggesting that epibionts may act as a barrier against sedimentation rather than as an antipredator defense.
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