Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution and Abundance of Fauna on Living Tissues of Two Brazilian Hermatypic Corals (Mussismilia hispida (Verril 1902) and Siderastrea stellata Verril, 1868)

  • Primary Research Paper
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study describes the distribution and abundance patterns of the associate fauna on the living surface of the corals Siderastrea stellata Verril, 1868 and Mussismilia hispida (Verril 1902) using a non-destructive method, on the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro State. For each coral species, infestation density and proportions of infested colonies, colonies attached and unattached to the substrate were estimated. A total of 474 colonies of S. stellata and 452 colonies of M. hispida were examined. The barnacle Ceratoconcha floridana (Pilsbry, 1931) was the dominant coral associate found, followed by gall-crabs of the family Cryptochiridae Paulson, 1875 and the bivalve Lithophaga bisulcata (d’Orbigny, 1842). Both coral species presented similar patterns of infestation dominance. S. stellata colonies were more commonly infested and showed a greater mean infestation density of 0.62 ind/cm2 at Armação dos Búzios, whereas M. hispida colonies had infestation densities of only 0.20 ind/cm2. Infestation density does not appear to impact negatively on corals of Armação dos Búzios. A clear negative relationship between the number of associates in the coral colony and coral size was found. Evidently abundance and frequency of occurrence of associated fauna is highly related to coral community structure and composition and the results highlight the importance of local scale studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Cantera J. R., Orozco C., Londono-Cruz E. and Toro-Farmer G. (2003). Abundance and distribution patterns of infaunal associates and macroborers of the branched coral (Pocillopora damicornis) in Gorgona Island (eastern tropical Pacific). Bulletin of Marine Science 72: 207–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Carricart-Ganivet J. P., Carrera-Parra L. F., Quan-Young L. I. and García-Madrigal M. S. (2004). Ecological note on Troglocarcinus corallicola (Brachyura: Cryptochiridae) living in symbiosis with Manicina areolata (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) in the Mexican Caribbean. Coral Reefs 23: 215–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DHN, 1995. Diretoria de Hidrografia e Navegação /Ministério da Marinha. Relatório Estatístico Anual do Banco Nacional de Dados Oceanográficos referente a Estação Meteorológica do Porto do Forno e São Pedro da Aldeia., Pages 12 p. Rio de Janeiro, Publ., Ministério da Marinha

  • DRM – Departamento de Recursos Minerais, INPE – Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, 1977. Mapa geológico do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

  • Glynn P. W. (1997). Bioerosion and coral-reef growth: a dynamic balance. In: Birkeland, C. (eds) Life and Death of Coral Reefs, pp 68–95. Chapman and Hall, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Goh N. K. C., Ng P. F. L. and Chou L. M. (1999). Notes on the shallow water gorgonian-associated fauna on coral reefs in Singapore. Bulletin of Marine Science 65: 259–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Highsmith R. C. (1980). Geographic patterns of coral bioerosion: a productivity hypothesis. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology 46: 177–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kiene W. E. and Hutchings P. A. (1992). Long-term bioerosion of experimental coral substrates from Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Proceedings of the VII International Coral Reef Symposium 1: 397–403

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleemann K. H. (1980). Boring bivalves and their host corals from the Great Barrier Reef. Journal of Molluscan Studies 46: 13–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Kropp R. K. and Manning R. B. (1987). The Atlantic gall crabs, Family Cryptochiridae (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 462: 1–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Laborel, J., 1969. Les peuplements de madréporaires des côtes tropicales du Brésil. Annales de l’Université d’Abidjan II (serie E): 21–260

  • Neves G. and Omena E. (2003). Influence of sponge morphology on the composition of the polychaete associated fauna from Rocas Atoll, northeast Brazil. Coral Reefs 22: 123–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira J. M. M. (2003). Fauna living in colonies of Mussismilia hispida (Verrill) (Cnidaria: Scleractinia) in four South-eastern Brazil islands. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 46: 421–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira J. M. M. and Amaral A. C. Z. (2000). Amphicorina schlenzae, a small sabellid (Polychaeta, Sabellidae) associated with a stony coral on the coast of São Paulo state, Brazil. Bulletin of Marine Science 67: 617–623

    Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira J. M. M. and Rizzo A. E. (2001). A new species of Branchiomaldane (Polychaeta: Arenicolidae) from the state of São Paulo, south-eastern Brazil. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81: 415–421

    Google Scholar 

  • Nogueira J. M. M., San Martín G. and Amaral A. C. Z. (2001). Description of five new species of Exogoninae Rioja, (1925) (Polychaeta: Syllidae) associated with the stony coral Mussismilia hispida (Verrill, 1868) in São Paulo State, Brazil. Journal of Natural History 35: 1773–1794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oigman-Pszczol S. S. and Creed J. C. (2004). Size structure and spatial distribution of the corals Mussismilia hispida and Siderastrea stellata (Scleractinia) at Armação dos Búzios, Brazil. Bulletin of Marine Science 74: 433–448

    Google Scholar 

  • Oigman-Pszczol S. S., Figueiredo M. A. O. and Creed J. C. (2004). Distribution of benthic communities on the tropical rocky subtidal of Armação dos Búzios, south-eastern Brazil. Marine Ecology 25: 173–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, W.K., 1967. Commensal Crustacea. Proceedings of the Symposium on Crustacea, Part III: 1228–1244

  • Patton W. K. (1972). Studies on the animal symbionts of the gorgonian coral, Leptogorgia virgulata (Lamarck). Bulletin of Marine Science 22: 419–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton, W.K., 1974. Community structure among the animals inhabiting the coral Pocillopora damicornis at Heron Islands, Australia. In Venberg, W. B. (ed.), Symbiosis in the Sea, University of South Carolina Press: 219–243

  • Patton W. K. (1976). Animal associates of living reef corals. In: Jones, O. A. and Endean, R. (eds) Biology and Geology of Coral Reefs, pp 1–33. Biology Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton W. K. (1994). Distribution and ecology of animals associated with branching corals (Acropora spp.) from the Great Barrier Reef. Bulletin of Marine Science 55: 193–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Reed J. K. and Mikkelsen P. M. (1987). The Molluscan community associated with the scleractinian coral Oculina varicosa. Bulletin of Marine Science 40: 99–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, M. A. C. & Z. M. A. N. Leão, 2000. Bioerosion rate of the sponge Cliona celata (Grant (1826)) from reefs in turbid waters, north Bahia Brazil. Proceedings of the IX International Coral Reef Symposium 1: 273–278

  • Rinkevich B., Wolodarsky Z. and Loya Y. (1991). Coral-crab association: a compact domain of a multilevel trophic system. Hydrobiologia 216/217: 279–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross A. and Newman W. A. (1973). Revision of the coral inhabiting barnacles (Cirripedia: Balanidae). Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 17: 137–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, A. & W. A. Newman, 2000. Coral Barnacles: Cenozoic decline and extinction in the Atlantic/East Pacific versus diversification in the Indo-West Pacific. Proceedings of the IX International Coral Reef Symposium 1: 179–184

  • Scoffin T. P. and Bradshaw C. (2000). The taphonomic significance of endoliths in dead-versus live- coral skeletons. Palaios 15: 248–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott P. J. B. (1987). Associations between corals and macro-infaunal invertebrates in Jamaica, with a list of Caribbean and Atlantic coral associates. Bulletin of Marine Science 40: 271–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott P. J. B. (1988a). Distribution, habitat and morphology of the Caribbean coral- and rock-boring bivalve, Lithophaga bisulcata (d’Orbigny) (Mytilidae: Lithophaginae). Journal of Molluscan Studies 54: 83–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott P. J. B. (1988b). Initial settlement behaviour and survivorship of Lithophaga bisulcata (d’Orbigny) (Mytilidae: Lithophaginae). Journal of Molluscan Studies 54: 97–108

    Google Scholar 

  • da Silveira F. L. and Migotto A. E. (1984). Serehyba sanctisebastiani n. gen., n. sp. (Hydrozoa,Tubulariidae) symbiont of a gorgonian octocoral from the southeast coast of Brazil. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde 54: 231–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon-Blecher N., Chemedanov A., Eden N. and Achituv Y. (1999). Pit structure and trophic relationship of the coral pit crab Cryptochirus coralliodytes. Marine Biology 134: 711–717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sin T. M. and Lee A. C. (2000). Host specialisation in trapeziid crabs: consequences for rarity at local scales. Proceedings of the IX International Coral Reef Symposium 1: 533–536

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomason J. C. and Brown B. E. (1986). The cnidom: an index of aggressive proficiency in scleractinian corals. Coral Reefs 5: 93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Underwood A. J. (1997). Experiments in Ecology: Their Logical Design and Interpretation Using Analysis of Variance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • WMO/OMM, 1996. Climatological Normals (CLINO) for the Period (1961)–(1990). Secretariat of the World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 786 pp

  • Yoneshigue-Valentin Y. and Valentin J. L. (1992). Macroalgae of the Cabo Frio upwelling region, Brazil: Ordination of communities. In: Seeliger, U. (eds) Coastal Plant Communities of Latin America, pp 31–50. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Young P. S. (1986). Análise Qualitativa e Quantitativa da Fauna Associada a Corais Hermatípicos (Coelenterata, Scleractinia) nos Recifes de João Pessoa, PB. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 46: 99–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Young P. S. (1988). Recent cnidarian-associated barnacles (Cirripedia, Balanomorpha) from the Brazilian coast. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 5: 353–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young P. S. (1989). Ceratoconcha paucicostata, a new species of coral – inhabiting barnacle (Cirripedia, Pyrgomatidae ) from the Western Atlantic. Crustaceana 56: 194–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Young P. S. and Christoffersen M. L. (1984). Recent coral barnacles of the genus Ceratoconcha (Cirripedia: Pyrgomatidae) from Northeast Brazil. Bulletin of Marine Science 35: 239–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Zann L. P. (1987). A review of macrosymbiosis in the coral reef ecosystem. International Journal for Parasitology 17: 399–405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zar J. H. (1999). Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 663

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Ecologia Marinha Bêntica, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro –Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, PHLC Sala 220, 20550-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Simone Siag Oigman-Pszczol & Joel C. Creed

Authors
  1. Simone Siag Oigman-Pszczol
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joel C. Creed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Simone Siag Oigman-Pszczol.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Oigman-Pszczol, S.S., Creed, J.C. Distribution and Abundance of Fauna on Living Tissues of Two Brazilian Hermatypic Corals (Mussismilia hispida (Verril 1902) and Siderastrea stellata Verril, 1868). Hydrobiologia 563, 143–154 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-0002-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-005-0002-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation