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Epizoic Bryozoans on Predatory Pycnogonids from the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica: “If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them”

Fouled Pycnogonids from Antarctica

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Bryozoan Studies 2010

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Earth System Sciences ((LNESS,volume 143))

Abstract

Antarctic bryozoans are poor spatial competitors compared to many sessile invertebrates. Antarctic bryozoans are frequently destroyed by ice scouring of the substratum during open water periods, and Antarctic bryozoans are specifically preyed upon by pycnogonids. Based on this, it was hypothesized that Antarctic bryozoans should foul pycnogonids more than other motile hosts and other sessile biotic and abiotic substrata. To test these hypotheses, 115 live pycnogonids were collected in the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica. Their carapaces were examined for epizoic bryozoans, and each colony’s size was measured and its location mapped. Nine species of pycnogonids were identified containing 156 bryozoan colonies belonging to seven cheilostome species. Of the 115 pycnogonids, 26% were fouled by bryozoans. The bryozoan species richness on pycnogonids is similar to that on the adjacent boulders. Compared to other motile host animals, the number of bryozoan species per unit host surface area is an order of magnitude higher on pycnogonids. This may be attributed to carapaces of pycnogonids acting as refugia for the bryozoans from competition for space on hard substrata, ice scour, and predation by their host.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the following people who made this project possible. Specimens were collected by Stefan Hain (British Antarctic Survey). Kathy Nicholson (British Antarctic Survey) aided in shipping the specimens from the UK to the US. C. Allan Child (Smithsonian Institution’s Natural History Museum) identified the pycnogonids. Scott Lidgard (Field Museum of Natural History) and David Staples (Museum Victoria) provided information on pycnogonid predation on bryozoans. Helpful reviews by Piotr Kuklinski (Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences) and Judy Winston (Virginia Museum of Natural History) greatly improved this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, USA

    Marcus M. Key Jr.

  2. Controlled Hazardous Substance Enforcement Division, Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Joel B. Knauff

  3. British Antarctic Survey, National Environmental Research Council, Cambridge, UK

    David K. A. Barnes

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  1. Marcus M. Key Jr.
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  2. Joel B. Knauff
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  3. David K. A. Barnes
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Correspondence to Marcus M. Key Jr. .

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  1. Christian-Abstrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Luedwig-Meyn-Straße 10, Kiel, 24118, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

    Andrej Ernst

  2. Olshausenstr. 40, Kiel, 24098, Germany

    Priska Schäfer

  3. Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Senck, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt, 60325, Germany

    Joachim Scholz

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Key, M.M., Knauff, J.B., Barnes, D.K.A. (2013). Epizoic Bryozoans on Predatory Pycnogonids from the South Orkney Islands, Antarctica: “If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them”. In: Ernst, A., Schäfer, P., Scholz, J. (eds) Bryozoan Studies 2010. Lecture Notes in Earth System Sciences, vol 143. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16411-8_10

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