Blue Barrel Sponge Fact Sheet

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Blue Barrel Sponge Fact Sheet Common Name: Blue Barrel Sponge, Giant Barrel Sponge, Marine Sponges, Siliceous Sponges, Volcano Sponge Scientific Name: Xestospongia muta Wild Status: Least Concern Habitat: Found on coral and rocky reef flats Country: Caribbean Sea, Bahamas, Bermuda, Florida, Gulf of Mexico Shelter: Shallow water, Under-hangs, Caves Life Span: 2000 years Size: Diameter of 6 feet Details The Blue Barrel Sponge is one of the largest species of sponge and lives mostly in the Caribbean. They can grow up to 35 feet and have a diameter of 6 feet and live up to 2000 years. As the sponge ages it begins to grow slower and take a long time to finally reach it's full size. Sponges do not have a cardiovascular system and have to have a constant water flow in order to have food, remove waste and have oxygen. They are filter feeders. The body of the sponge has many canals which helps filter the water through their bodies. The canals are lined with cells called Choanocytes which are flagellated. The Flagellum creates a rhythmical beating so water can move easily and food can become trapped. Blue Barrel Sponge can reproduce asexually or sexually because it's a hermaphrodite. They are important to the coral reef in that they provide a habitat for crabs, shrimps, gobies, etc. Cool Facts • The Blue Barrel Sponge dominates coral reef communities. • The Blue Barrel Sponge community in Florida Keys from Conch Reef has been studied since 1997. • The Blue Barrel Sponge is a filter feeder. • The Blue Barrel Sponges' tissues contains photosynthetic symbiotic cyanobacteria which gives it its color. • The Blue Barrel Sponge provides a habitat for various invertebrates. • The Blue Barrel Sponge has the nickname "Redwood of the Reef" because of its size and lifespan. Taxonomic Breakdown Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Porifera Class: Demospongiae Order: Haplosclerida Family: Petrosiidae Genus: Xestospongia Species: Xestospongia muta Conservation & Helping The Blue Barrel Sponge population is increasing but no one knows why. The speculation is that they can adapt better to environmental changes better than corals do and are moving into space left behind by dead coral. The fear is that the increase in population will do damage to the coral reefs because the sponges take up the space that baby coral need. So far nothing is being done to alter or stop the increase. Download all our fact sheets, take our quizzes, and more, all in the Critter Squad Kids’ Zone! https://www.crittersquad.com/kids-zone/.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Taxonomy and Diversity of the Sponge Fauna from Walters Shoal, a Shallow Seamount in the Western Indian Ocean Region
Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region By Robyn Pauline Payne A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Scientiae in the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape. Supervisors: Dr Toufiek Samaai Prof. Mark J. Gibbons Dr Wayne K. Florence The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF. December 2015 Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region Robyn Pauline Payne Keywords Indian Ocean Seamount Walters Shoal Sponges Taxonomy Systematics Diversity Biogeography ii Abstract Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region R. P. Payne MSc Thesis, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape. Seamounts are poorly understood ubiquitous undersea features, with less than 4% sampled for scientific purposes globally. Consequently, the fauna associated with seamounts in the Indian Ocean remains largely unknown, with less than 300 species recorded. One such feature within this region is Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount located on the South Madagascar Ridge, which is situated approximately 400 nautical miles south of Madagascar and 600 nautical miles east of South Africa. Even though it penetrates the euphotic zone (summit is 15 m below the sea surface) and is protected by the Southern Indian Ocean Deep- Sea Fishers Association, there is a paucity of biodiversity and oceanographic data.
[Show full text]
Caribbean Wildlife Undersea 2017
Caribbean Wildlife Undersea life This document is a compilation of wildlife pictures from The Caribbean, taken from holidays and cruise visits. Species identification can be frustratingly difficult and our conclusions must be checked via whatever other resources are available. We hope this publication may help others having similar problems. While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this document, the authors cannot be held re- sponsible for any errors. Copyright © John and Diana Manning, 2017 1 Angelfishes (Pomacanthidae) Corals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa) French angelfish 7 Bipinnate sea plume 19 (Pomacanthus pardu) (Antillogorgia bipinnata) Grey angelfish 8 Black sea rod 20 (Pomacanthus arcuatus) (Plexaura homomalla) Queen angelfish 8 Blade fire coral 20 (Holacanthus ciliaris) (Millepora complanata) Rock beauty 9 Branching fire coral 21 (Holacanthus tricolor) (Millepora alcicornis) Townsend angelfish 9 Bristle Coral 21 (Hybrid) (Galaxea fascicularis) Elkhorn coral 22 Barracudas (Sphyraenidae) (Acropora palmata) Great barracuda 10 Finger coral 22 (Sphyraena barracuda) (Porites porites) Fire coral 23 Basslets (Grammatidae) (Millepora dichotoma) Fairy basslet 10 Great star coral 23 (Gramma loreto) (Montastraea cavernosa) Grooved brain coral 24 Bonnetmouths (Inermiidae) (Diploria labyrinthiformis) Boga( Inermia Vittata) 11 Massive starlet coral 24 (Siderastrea siderea) Bigeyes (Priacanthidae) Pillar coral 25 Glasseye snapper 11 (Dendrogyra cylindrus) (Heteropriacanthus cruentatus) Porous sea rod 25 (Pseudoplexaura
[Show full text]
Prokaryotic Communities of Indo-Pacific Giant Barrel Sponges Are More Strongly Influenced by Geography Than Host Phylogeny
FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 94, 2018, fiy194 doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiy194 Advance Access Publication Date: 4 October 2018 Research Article RESEARCH ARTICLE Prokaryotic communities of Indo-Pacific giant barrel sponges are more strongly influenced by geography than host phylogeny TSwierts1,2,*, DFR Cleary3 and NJ de Voogd1,2 1Marine Biodiversity, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands, 2Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, PO Box 9518, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands and 3Departamento de Biologia CESAM, Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal ∗Corresponding author: Marine Biodiversity, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)71 7519615. E-mail: [email protected] One sentence summary: The prokaryotic communities of multiple giant barrel sponge species in the Indo-Pacific are more strongly influenced by geography than host phylogeny. Editor: Julie Olson ABSTRACT Sponges harbor complex communities of microorganisms that carry out essential roles for the functioning and survival of their hosts. In some cases, genetically related sponges from different geographic regions share microbes, while in other cases microbial communities are more similar in unrelated sponges collected from the same location. To better understand how geography and host phylogeny cause variation in the prokaryotic community of sponges, we compared the prokaryotic community of 44 giant barrel sponges (Xestospongia spp.). These sponges belonged to six reproductively isolated genetic groups from eight areas throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Using Illumina sequencing, we obtained 440 000 sequences of the 16S rRNA gene V3V4 variable region that were assigned to 3795 operational taxonomic units (OTUs).
[Show full text]
Giant Barrel Sponge) Population on the Southeast Florida Reef Tract Alanna D
Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations HCNSO Student Work 7-25-2019 Spatial and temporal trends in the Xestospongia muta (giant barrel sponge) population on the Southeast Florida Reef Tract Alanna D. Waldman student, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_stuetd Part of the Marine Biology Commons, and the Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Alanna D. Waldman. 2019. Spatial and temporal trends in the Xestospongia muta (giant barrel sponge) population on the Southeast Florida Reef Tract. Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, . (514) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_stuetd/514. This Thesis is brought to you by the HCNSO Student Work at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thesis of Alanna D. Waldman Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science M.S. Marine Biology Nova Southeastern University Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography July 2019 Approved: Thesis Committee Major Professor: David Gilliam, Ph.D. Committee Member: Jose Lopez, Ph.D. Committee Member: Charles Messing, Ph.D. This thesis is available at NSUWorks: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_stuetd/514 HALMOS COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND OCEANOGRAPHY Spatial and temporal trends in the Xestospongia muta (giant barrel sponge) population on the Southeast Florida Reef Tract By Alanna Denbrook Waldman Submitted to the Faculty of Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science with a specialty in: Marine Biology Nova Southeastern University August 2019 Table of Contents List of Figures ...............................................................................................................................
[Show full text]
Geographical Variability in Antibacterial Chemical Defenses of the Caribbean Sponge Xestospongia Muta
University of Mississippi eGrove Honors College (Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors Theses Honors College) 2019 Geographical Variability in Antibacterial Chemical Defenses of the Caribbean Sponge Xestospongia muta Coleman Sisson University of Mississippi, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis Part of the Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Sisson, Coleman, "Geographical Variability in Antibacterial Chemical Defenses of the Caribbean Sponge Xestospongia muta" (2019). Honors Theses. 1032. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1032 This Undergraduate Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors College (Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College) at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Geographical Variability in Antibacterial Chemical Defenses of the Caribbean Sponge Xestospongia muta by Coleman Riley Sisson A thesis submitted to the faculty of The University of Mississippi in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Oxford May 2019 Approved by ____________________________________ Advisor: Dr. Deborah Gochfeld ____________________________________ Reader: Dr. Marc Slattery ____________________________________ Reader: Dr. T. Kris Harrell ã 2019 Coleman Riley Sisson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College for all of the opportunities and learning that you have provided during my time at this university. You have helped to make my experience a memorable one and I wouldn’t change anything. Thank you to my advisors Dr. Deborah Gochfeld and Dr. Marc Slattery for your guidance and patience. Your support through this process means so much to me and allowed me to create a work that I can be proud of.
[Show full text]
General Introduction and Objectives 3
General introduction and objectives 3 General introduction: General body organization: The phylum Porifera is commonly referred to as sponges. The phylum, that comprises more than 6,000 species, is divided into three classes: Calcarea, Hexactinellida and Demospongiae. The latter class contains more than 85% of the living species. They are predominantly marine, with the notable exception of the family Spongillidae, an extant group of freshwater demosponges whose fossil record begins in the Cretaceous. Sponges are ubiquitous benthic creatures, found at all latitudes beneath the world's oceans, and from the intertidal to the deep-sea. Sponges are considered as the most basal phylum of metazoans, since most of their features appear to be primitive, and it is widely accepted that multicellular animals consist of a monophyletic group (Zrzavy et al. 1998). Poriferans appear to be diploblastic (Leys 2004; Maldonado 2004), although the two cellular sheets are difficult to homologise with those of the rest of metazoans. They are sessile animals, though it has been shown that some are able to move slowly (up to 4 mm per day) within aquaria (e.g., Bond and Harris 1988; Maldonado and Uriz 1999). They lack organs, possessing cells that develop great number of functions. The sponge body is lined by a pseudoepithelial layer of flat cells (exopinacocytes). Anatomically and physiologically, tissues of most sponges (but carnivorous sponges) are organized around an aquiferous system of excurrent and incurrent canals (Rupert and Barnes 1995). These canals are lined by a pseudoepithelial layer of flat cells (endopinacocytes).Water flows into the sponge body through multiple apertures (ostia) General introduction and objectives 4 to the incurrent canals which end in the choanocyte chambers (Fig.
[Show full text]
Two New Species of the Genus Callyspongia (Haplosclerida:Callyspongiidae) from Korea
Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity xxx (2017) 1e5 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/japb Original Article Two new species of the genus Callyspongia (Haplosclerida:Callyspongiidae) from Korea Kim Hyung June, Kang Dong Won* National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea, Seocheon 33662, South Korea article info abstract Article history: In this study, two new species of the genus Callyspongia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864: Callyspognia Received 11 July 2017 pyeongdaensis sp. nov. and Callyspongia maraensis sp. nov. from Korea are described as new to science. All Received in revised form of the available information is presented in this study including the localities from which the species 5 September 2017 were collected and illustrations of spicule and skeleton. Accepted 22 September 2017 Ó 2017 National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and Korea National Arboretum (KNA), Publishing Available online xxx Services by Elsevier. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Keywords: Callyspongiidae Callyspongia Korea New species Sponge Introduction surveyed Jeju Island, South Korea, where marine life has not been studied and is affected by Kuroshio Current. As a result, here, we The family Callyspongiidae was found in 1936 by de Laubenfels describe one new species of Callyspongia. This new species was and consists of haplosclerid sponges which have a two- compared with the Korea and Japan Callyspongia species with a dimensional ectosomal skeleton of primary, secondary, and some- similar morphology. times tertiary fibers (De Voogd 2004; Desqueyroux-Faundeze and Valentine 2002).
[Show full text]
Why Xestospongia Testudinaria?
9th World Sponge Conference 2013. 4-8 November 2013, Fremantle WA, Australia Genetic diversity of the Indo-Pacific barrel sponge Xestospongia testudinaria (Haplosclerida : Petrosiidae) Edwin Setiawan1,2, Dirk Erpenbeck1, Thomas Swierts3, N.J. de Voogd3, Gert Wörheide1 1Dept.of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology, LMU München 2Dept.of Biology,10 November Institute of Technology, Surabaya, Indonesia 3Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden, The Netherlands Earth & Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology GeoBio-CenterLMU Why genetic diversity ? • Information for genetic connectivity & phylogeography • Impact of environmental disturbances to marine ecosystem (e.g. Sutherland 2004; Lopez- Legentil et al. 2008; Lopez- Legentil & Pawlik 2009) • Species delimitation Earth & Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology GeoBio-CenterLMU Why Xestospongia testudinaria? • Abundant in the Indo-Pacific (de Voogd & van Soest 2002) • One of the most common Indonesian reef sponges (van Soest 1989; de Voogd & Cleary 2008) Earth & Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology GeoBio-CenterLMU Background Earth & Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology GeoBio-CenterLMU Research question • Genetic diversity & connectivity in a broader scale? • Species delimitation? = or ≠ X. testudinaria X. muta fig. Ritson-Williams et al. 2005 • What about X. bergquistia? 2 identical haplotype between it (Swierts et al. 2013) Earth & Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology & Geobiology GeoBio-CenterLMU RESULTS • 8 haplotypes
[Show full text]
Chemical and Bioactive Diversities of Marine Sponge Neopetrosia Mini
A Journal of the Bangladesh Pharmacological Society (BDPS) Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2016; 11: 433-452 Journal homepage: www.banglajol.info Abstracted/indexed in Academic Search Complete, Asia Journals Online, Bangladesh Journals Online, Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, CAB Abstracts, Current Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Google Scholar, HINARI (WHO), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Open J-gate, Science Citation Index Expanded, SCOPUS and Social Sciences Citation Index; ISSN: 1991-0088 review - Chemical and bioactive diversities of marine sponge Neopetrosia Mini Haitham Qaralleh Department of Medical Support, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Karak University College, Al-Karak, Jordan. Article Info Abstract Received: 26 January 2016 The marine sponge Neopetrosia contains about 27 species that is highly Accepted: 21 March 2016 distributed in Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) and Pacific Available Online: 3 April 2016 Ocean. It has proven to be valuable to the discovery of medicinal products DOI: 10.3329/bjp.v11i2.26611 due to the presence of various types of compounds with variable bio- activities. More than 85 compounds including alkaloids, quinones, sterols and terpenoids were isolated from this genus. Moreover, the crude extracts and Cite this article: the isolated compounds revealed activities such as antimicrobial, anti-fouling, Qaralleh H. Chemical and bioactive anti-HIV, cytotoxic, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-protozoal, anti-inflamma- diversities of the marine sponge Neo- tory. Because only 9 out of 27 species of the genus Neopetrosia have been petrosia. Bangladesh J Pharmacol. chemically studied thus far, there are signiﬁcant opportunities to ﬁnd out new 2016; 11: 433-52. chemical constituents from this genus.
[Show full text]
The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Porifera, Demospongiae, Part 3 (Haplosclerida and Nepheliospongida)
ISSN 0083-7903, 87 (Print) ISSN 2538-1016; 87 (Online) The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Porifera, Demospongiae, Part 3 (Haplosclerida and Nepheliospongida) by P. R. BERGQUIST and K. P. WARNE . �· New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir 87 1980 NEW ZEALAND DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Porifera, I;)emospongiae, Part 3 (Haplosclerida and Nepheliospongida) by P. R. BERGQUIST and K. P. WARNE Department of Zoology, University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir 87 1980 This workSig is licensed 1 under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ ISSN 0083-7903 Received for publication: May 1979 © Crown Copyright I 980 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES 4 LIST OF TABLES 4 ABSTRACT 5 INTRODUCTION 5 Acknowledgments 8 COLLECTIONS EXAMINED 8 LIST OF SPECIES DESCRIBED 11 SYSTEMATICS ... 12 Order Haplosclerida Topsent 12 Family Haliclonidae de Laubenfels 12 Haliclona Grant, 1835 12 Family Adociidae de Laubenfels 19 Adocia Gray, 1867 20 Orina Gray, 1867 21 Sigmadocia de Laubenfels, 1936 22 Toxadocia de Laubenfels, 1936 ... 24 Family Callyspongiidae de Laubenfels 24 Callyspongia Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 ... 24 Chalinopsil/a Lendenfeld, 1888 ... 33 Dactylia Carter, 1885 34 Order Nepheliospongida Bergquist 34 Family Nepheliospongiidae Clark ... 35 Petrosia Vosmaer, 1887 ... 35 Xestospongia de Laubenfels, 1932 36 Family Oceanapiidae Van Soest 37 Oceanapia Norman, 1869 37 Vagocia de Laubenfels, 1936 38 REFERENCES 39 INDEX 41 PLATES ..
[Show full text]
Two New Haplosclerid Sponges from Caribbean Panama with Symbiotic Filamentous Cyanobacteria, and an Overview of Sponge-Cyanobacteria Associations
PORIFERA RESEARCH: BIODIVERSITY, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY - 2007 31 Two new haplosclerid sponges from Caribbean Panama with symbiotic filamentous cyanobacteria, and an overview of sponge-cyanobacteria associations Maria Cristina Diaz'12*>, Robert W. Thacker<3), Klaus Rutzler(1), Carla Piantoni(1) (1) Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560-0163, USA. [email protected] (2) Museo Marino de Margarita, Blvd. El Paseo, Boca del Rio, Margarita, Edo. Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. [email protected] <3) Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170, USA. [email protected] Abstract: Two new species of the order Haplosclerida from open reef and mangrove habitats in the Bocas del Toro region (Panama) have an encrusting growth form (a few mm thick), grow copiously on shallow reef environments, and are of dark purple color from dense populations of the cyanobacterial symbiont Oscillatoria spongeliae. Haliclona (Soestella) walentinae sp. nov. (Chalinidae) is dark purple outside and tan inside, and can be distinguished by its small oscules with radial, transparent canals. The interior is tan, while the consistency is soft and elastic. The species thrives on some shallow reefs, profusely overgrowing fire corals (Millepora spp.), soft corals, scleractinians, and coral rubble. Xestospongia bocatorensis sp. nov. (Petrosiidae) is dark purple, inside and outside, and its oscules are on top of small, volcano-shaped mounds and lack radial canals. The sponge is crumbly and brittle. It is found on live coral and coral rubble on reefs, and occasionally on mangrove roots. The two species have three characteristics that make them unique among the families Chalinidae and Petrosiidae: filamentous, multicellular cyanobacterial symbionts rather than unicellular species; high propensity to overgrow other reef organisms and, because of their symbionts, high rate of photosynthetic production.
[Show full text]
Sponge Communities on Caribbean Coral Reefs Are Structured by Factors That Are Top-Down, Not Bottom-Up
Sponge Communities on Caribbean Coral Reefs Are Structured by Factors That Are Top-Down, Not Bottom-Up Joseph R. Pawlik*, Tse-Lynn Loh, Steven E. McMurray, Christopher M. Finelli Department of Biology and Marine Biology, Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States of America Abstract Caribbean coral reefs have been transformed in the past few decades with the demise of reef-building corals, and sponges are now the dominant habitat-forming organisms on most reefs. Competing hypotheses propose that sponge communities are controlled primarily by predatory fishes (top-down) or by the availability of picoplankton to suspension-feeding sponges (bottom-up). We tested these hypotheses on Conch Reef, off Key Largo, Florida, by placing sponges inside and outside predator-excluding cages at sites with less and more planktonic food availability (15 m vs. 30 m depth). There was no evidence of a bottom-up effect on the growth of any of 5 sponge species, and 2 of 5 species grew more when caged at the shallow site with lower food abundance. There was, however, a strong effect of predation by fishes on sponge species that lacked chemical defenses. Sponges with chemical defenses grew slower than undefended species, demonstrating a resource trade-off between growth and the production of secondary metabolites. Surveys of the benthic community on Conch Reef similarly did not support a bottom-up effect, with higher sponge cover at the shallower depth. We conclude that the structure of sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs is primarily top-down, and predict that removal of sponge predators by overfishing will shift communities toward faster-growing, undefended species that better compete for space with threatened reef-building corals.
[Show full text]