sponge

Globally intertwined evolutionary history of giant barrel sponges

Abstract

Three species of giant barrel sponge are currently recognized in two distinct geographic regions, the tropical Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific. In this study, we used molecular techniques to study populations of giant barrel sponges across the globe and assessed whether the genetic structure of these populations agreed with current taxonomic consensus or, in contrast, whether there was evidence of cryptic species. Using molecular data, we assessed whether giant barrel sponges in each oceanic realm represented separate monophyletic lineages. Giant barrel sponges from 17 coral reef systems across the globe were sequenced for mitochondrial (partial CO1 and ATP6 genes) and nuclear (ATPsβ intron) DNA markers. In total, we obtained 395 combined sequences of the mitochondrial CO1 and ATP6 markers, which resulted in 17 different haplotypes. We compared a phylogenetic tree constructed from 285 alleles of the nuclear intron ATPsβ to the 17 mitochondrial haplotypes. Congruent patterns between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees of giant barrel sponges provided evidence for the existence of multiple reproductively isolated species, particularly where they occurred in sympatry. The species complexes in the tropical Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, however, do not form separate monophyletic lineages. This rules out the scenario that one species of giant barrel sponge developed into separate species complexes following geographic separation and instead suggests that multiple species of giant barrel sponges already existed prior to the physical separation of the Indo-Pacific and tropical Atlantic.

Date
2017
Data type
Other resources
Theme
Research and monitoring
Geographic location
Curacao

The influence of sponge-dwelling gobies (Elacatinus horsti) on pumping rates of Caribbean sponge hosts, Aplysina lacunosa and Aplysina archeri

Mutualistic associations between benthic marine invertebrates and reef taxa are common. Sponge-dwelling gobies benefit from protection within sponge tubes and greater food availability. Sponge-dwelling gobies are hypothesized to increase sponge pumping rates by consuming polychaete parasites, but such increases have not been demonstrated yet. We investigated the association between sponge-dwelling gobies (Elacatinus horsti) and two species of tube sponge (Aplysina lacunosa and Aplysina archeri) in Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands. We visually assessed goby presence in sponges and used an in situ method with fluorescein dye to estimate pumping rates. Aplysina archeri was more likely to host a goby than A. lacunosa. For both sponge species, pumping rates of tubes with gobies were higher on average than those of tubes without gobies. Our observations, therefore, suggest that E. horsti associations with Aplysina are consistent with a mutualistic relationship in which sponges benefit from higher feeding rates when gobies are present.

 

Full article can be accessed here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-023-02362-y

Date
2023
Data type
Scientific article
Theme
Research and monitoring
Journal
Geographic location
Bonaire