Solitary entoprocts living on bryozoans - Commensals, mutualists or parasites?

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• 作者：Yuta Tamberg ; ^{yutamberg@gmail.com} ; Natalia Shunatova ^{natalia.shunatova@gmail.com} ; Eugeniy Yakovis ^{yakovis@rbcmail.ru}
• 关键词：Bryozoa ; Commensalism ; Entoprocta ; Epibiosis ; Interactions ; Suspension-feeding
• 刊名：Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
• 出版年：2013
• 出版时间：February, 2013
• 年：2013
• 卷：440
• 期：Complete
• 页码：15-21
• 全文大小：741 K

文摘

To assess the effects of interspecific interactions on community structure it is necessary to identify their sign. Interference in sessile benthic suspension-feeders is mediated by space and food. In the White Sea solitary entoproct Loxosomella nordgaardi almost restrictively inhabits the colonies of several bryozoans, including Tegella armifera. Since both entoprocts and their hosts are suspension-feeders, this strong spatial association suggests feeding interference of an unknown sign.

We mapped the colonies of T. armifera inhabited by entoprocts and examined stomachs of both species for diatom shells. Distribution of L. nordgaardi was positively correlated with distribution of fully developed and actively feeding polypides of T. armifera, i.e. areas of strong colony-wide currents. We compared diatom shells found in their stomachs and observed a diet overlap, especially in the size classes < 15 ¦Ìm. Size spectra of the diatom shells consumed by T. armifera and average number of diatom shells per gut were not affected by the presence of L. nordgaardi. According to these results, L. nordgaardi is a commensal of T. armifera.