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Mangrove and coral reef sponge faunas: untold stories about shallow water Porifera in the Caribbean

  • SPONGE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS
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Abstract

Sponge faunas from coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems in the Caribbean have mostly been studied from an ecological perspective, with researchers considering the effects of physical and biological factors on their species distribution. To discern evolutionary patterns, this study analyzed the systematic composition, taxonomic diversity, and ecological properties (reproductive strategies, size, shape, endosymbiosis) of mangrove and reef sponge assemblages from seven distant Caribbean localities. Species composition was compared by use of cluster analysis (Sørensen’s), and taxonomic diversity by use of the biodiversity index average taxonomic distinctness (AvTD). Mangrove and reef-associated sponge faunas were found to be statistically dissimilar, with the AvTD values suggesting stronger taxonomic bias toward specific groups in mangroves, irrespective of geographic distance. Most Demospongiae orders have 30–50% more species in coral reefs than in mangroves. The richest reef genera (Agelas, Aplysina, Callyspongia, Petrosia, and Xestospongia) rarely colonize contiguous mangrove formations. The distribution and diversity of suprageneric taxa suggest that coral reef sponge assemblages might represent an older fauna. This historical interpretation would place mangrove subtidal habitats as the youngest marine ecosystem, rather than a below-optimum ecosystem. Life history traits support a biological split discussed here from the perspective of distinct evolutionary histories and different environmental conditions.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Lic. Paula Young, and Lic. Adriana Perez for their help gathering species distribution data, Dr Pedro Alcolado and Dr Klaus Rützler for providing unpublished species lists, Lic. Edlin Guerra for processing distribution data and performing the similarity and AvTD analyses, Dr Andrzej Pisera, Dr Klaus Rützler, Dr Robert Thacker, and Dr Rob van Soest for their comments, suggestions, and editorial correction of this paper, anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and corrections, the CCRE-Marine Science Network program, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro Panama, and NOAA Ocean Exploration Project “Cayman Islands Twilight Zone” for allowing my studies in mangrove and coral reef ecosystems during the last 10 years, the PorTol team and grants for supporting my attendance at the 8th sponge conference, Gerona, Spain, 2010, and the organizers of the conference. Portions of this work were supported by the US National Science Foundation under grant 0829986 to Dr Robert Thacker.

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  1. Museo Marino de Margarita, Boca del Rio, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela

    M. Cristina Diaz

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Guest editors: M. Maldonado, X. Turon, M. A. Becerro & M. J. Uriz / Ancient animals, new challenges: developments in sponge research

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Diaz, M.C. Mangrove and coral reef sponge faunas: untold stories about shallow water Porifera in the Caribbean. Hydrobiologia 687, 179–190 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0952-5

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