Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological Interactions
Despite a rich taxonomic literature on the symbionts of ascidians, the nature of these symbioses remains poorly understood. In the Egyptian Red Sea, the solitary ascidian <i>Phallusia nigra</i> hosted a symbiotic amphipod and four copepod species, with densities as high as 68 mixed symbi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/197 |
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| author | Edwin Cruz-Rivera Mohy-El-Din Sherif Salma El-Sahhar Thomas Lombardi |
| author_facet | Edwin Cruz-Rivera Mohy-El-Din Sherif Salma El-Sahhar Thomas Lombardi |
| author_sort | Edwin Cruz-Rivera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite a rich taxonomic literature on the symbionts of ascidians, the nature of these symbioses remains poorly understood. In the Egyptian Red Sea, the solitary ascidian <i>Phallusia nigra</i> hosted a symbiotic amphipod and four copepod species, with densities as high as 68 mixed symbionts per host. Correlation analyses suggested no competition or antagonism between symbionts. Ascidian mass, ash-free dry mass per wet mass (AFDM/WM), and both symbiont density and diversity per host, differed significantly among three reefs from El Gouna, Egypt. However, there was no correlation between amphipod, total copepod, or total symbiont densities and host mass or AFDM/WM. A host condition index based on body to tunic mass ratio was significantly related to symbiont density overall, but this positive pattern was only strong at a single site studied. Despite assumptions based on the habit of some of the symbiont groups, our analyses detected little effect of symbionts on host health, suggesting a commensal relationship. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:55:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-328466a378cd4ea991cbea3a0af463d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:55:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-328466a378cd4ea991cbea3a0af463d32023-11-24T00:57:28ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-03-0114319710.3390/d14030197Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological InteractionsEdwin Cruz-Rivera0Mohy-El-Din Sherif1Salma El-Sahhar2Thomas Lombardi3Bioenvironmental Science Program, Department of Biology, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, USAAB Vista NIR Services, AB Agri, Paulerspury N12 7LS, UKSchool of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UKDepartment of Information Systems and Technology, University of the Virgin Islands, #2 John Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, VI 00802, USADespite a rich taxonomic literature on the symbionts of ascidians, the nature of these symbioses remains poorly understood. In the Egyptian Red Sea, the solitary ascidian <i>Phallusia nigra</i> hosted a symbiotic amphipod and four copepod species, with densities as high as 68 mixed symbionts per host. Correlation analyses suggested no competition or antagonism between symbionts. Ascidian mass, ash-free dry mass per wet mass (AFDM/WM), and both symbiont density and diversity per host, differed significantly among three reefs from El Gouna, Egypt. However, there was no correlation between amphipod, total copepod, or total symbiont densities and host mass or AFDM/WM. A host condition index based on body to tunic mass ratio was significantly related to symbiont density overall, but this positive pattern was only strong at a single site studied. Despite assumptions based on the habit of some of the symbiont groups, our analyses detected little effect of symbionts on host health, suggesting a commensal relationship.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/197ascidian<i>Bonnierilla</i><i>Doropygus</i><i>Janstockia</i><i>Leucothoe</i><i>Styelicola</i> |
| spellingShingle | Edwin Cruz-Rivera Mohy-El-Din Sherif Salma El-Sahhar Thomas Lombardi Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological Interactions Diversity ascidian <i>Bonnierilla</i> <i>Doropygus</i> <i>Janstockia</i> <i>Leucothoe</i> <i>Styelicola</i> |
| title | Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological Interactions |
| title_full | Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological Interactions |
| title_fullStr | Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological Interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological Interactions |
| title_short | Spatial Variability in a Symbiont-Diverse Marine Host and the Use of Observational Data to Assess Ecological Interactions |
| title_sort | spatial variability in a symbiont diverse marine host and the use of observational data to assess ecological interactions |
| topic | ascidian <i>Bonnierilla</i> <i>Doropygus</i> <i>Janstockia</i> <i>Leucothoe</i> <i>Styelicola</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/3/197 |
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