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Decadal longevity and slow growth rates in the deep-water sea pen Halipteris finmarchica (Sars, 1851) (Octocorallia: Pennatulacea): implications for vulnerability and recovery from anthropogenic disturbance

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Abstract

Growth rates and longevity are key factors in assessing the vulnerability of many invertebrates to anthropogenic disturbance. Sea pens are benthic invertebrates frequently entrained as fisheries bycatch, but whose growth (recovery) rates are poorly known. Here, longevity and growth rates were estimated for the deep-water sea pen Halipteris finmarchica from the Northwest Atlantic and compared to those published for Halipteris willemoesi from the Bering Sea. Axes were cross sectioned to visualise growth rings and estimate longevity and growth rates. Chronology of growth rings was examined with trace element microanalysis of Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, Ba/Ca and Na/Ca in the axis using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The relationship between growth rates and environmental variables was investigated. The number of rings ranged from 13 to 22 among 26 colonies. Trace element microanalysis yielded a number of elemental ratio peaks comparable to the number of rings visually determined. Diametric growth rates were significantly smaller than those published for H. willemoesi, while linear growth rates (extension in height) were not different. No significant relationships were detected between growth rates and environmental variables for H. finmarchica. Our data suggest that H. finmarchica is a slow-growing, relatively long-lived organism whose recovery from damage can take over 20 years.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Glenn Piercey, Michael Shaffer, David Grant and Brian Loveridge (CREAIT, Memorial University of Newfoundland) for assistance with sectioning, polishing and trace element analysis (GP), Wanda Aylward (CREAIT, Memorial University of Newfoundland) for the X-ray diffraction analysis and Kent Gilkinson from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). We also thank the 8th International Conference on Coelenterate Biology committee for the registration fee reduction award to BMN. This manuscript was improved by the comments of two anonymous reviewers. Research is funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (doctoral scholarship to BMN) and sponsored by the NSERC Canadian Healthy Oceans Network (CHONe)—a university-government partnership dedicated to biodiversity science for the sustainability of Canada’s three oceans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada

    Bárbara de Moura Neves & Evan Edinger

  2. Department of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada

    Evan Edinger

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada

    Evan Edinger & Graham D. Layne

  4. Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5X1, Canada

    Vonda E. Wareham

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  1. Bárbara de Moura Neves
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Correspondence to Bárbara de Moura Neves.

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Guest editors: Yehuda Benayahu, Oren Levy & Tamar Lotan / Coelenterate Biology: Advanced Studies on Cnidaria and Ctenophora.

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10750_2015_2229_MOESM1_ESM.tif

Online Resource 1: Results from the X-ray diffraction analysis on the axis of Halipteris finmarchica (black), also showing how these values compare to magnesian calcite (red) and calcite (blue) (TIFF 9288 kb)

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Neves, B.d.M., Edinger, E., Layne, G.D. et al. Decadal longevity and slow growth rates in the deep-water sea pen Halipteris finmarchica (Sars, 1851) (Octocorallia: Pennatulacea): implications for vulnerability and recovery from anthropogenic disturbance. Hydrobiologia 759, 147–170 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2229-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2229-x

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