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Ascidian-associated polychaetes: ecological implications of aggregation size and tube-building chaetopterids on assemblage structure in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean

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Abstract

Epifaunal polychaetes inhabit a range of habitat structures built by other organisms, such as ascidians. Here, we examine: i) the polychaete fauna inhabiting aggregations of the ascidian Pyura chilensis in central Chile; ii) the relationship between sample volume (aggregation size) and polychaete assemblage variables; and iii) the effect of a tube-building chaetopterid on the polychaete assemblage structure. The chaetopterid tube load on aggregations determines two ascidian morphotypes, those with a high load of chaetopterid tubes (HT morphotype) and those with a low load of chaetopterid tubes (LT morphotype). From a total of 38 aggregations studied, we found 5,524 specimens belonging to 35 species of polychaetes. Three species were the most abundant in the aggregations (Phyllochaetopterus socialis, Nicolea lobulata, and Typosyllis magdalena), reaching 22% of total abundance. The number of species and individuals increased with sample volume, but only the number of species number varied between morphotypes. Sample volume and the chaetopterid tubes influenced the polychaete assemblage structure, evidencing differences between morphotypes. We suggest that both sample volume and the habitat structuring capacity of the chaetopterid tubes change the habitat complexity of the ascidian aggregations and, hence, produce differences between morphotypes related to the polychaete assemblage structure.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigación Pesquera FIP #96/49 grant to JMC, and supported by the Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico FONDECYT #3100145 grant to RDS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla, 567, Valdivia, Chile

    Roger D. Sepúlveda

  2. Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Nicolás Rozbaczylo

  3. Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Christian M. Ibáñez

  4. Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile

    Marcelo Flores

  5. Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile

    Juan M. Cancino

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  1. Roger D. Sepúlveda
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Correspondence to Roger D. Sepúlveda.

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Sepúlveda, R.D., Rozbaczylo, N., Ibáñez, C.M. et al. Ascidian-associated polychaetes: ecological implications of aggregation size and tube-building chaetopterids on assemblage structure in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean. Mar Biodiv 45, 733–741 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-014-0283-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-014-0283-7

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