Invasive alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea makes a strong impact on the Mediterranean sponge Sarcotragus spinosulus

Here we present the first observation of the impact of the invasive Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea on native photophilic sponge species in the Adriatic Sea, with special focus on Sarcotragus spinosulus. Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea is able to completely overgrow the sponge, developing an e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBiological invasions Vol. 13; no. 10; pp. 2303 - 2308
Main Authors Žuljević, Ante, Thibaut, Thierry, Despalatović, Marija, Cottalorda, Jean-Michel, Nikolić, Vedran, Cvitković, Ivan, Antolić, Boris
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.10.2011
Springer Netherlands
Springer Nature B.V
Springer Verlag
Subjects
Algae
Animal populations
Aquatic life
biomass
Biomedical and Life Sciences
canopy
Caulerpa
Caulerpa racemosa
chemotropism
death
Developmental Biology
Ecology
Ecology, environment
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Fronds
Indigenous species
invasive species
Invertebrates
Life Sciences
Marine
Mortality
necrosis
Nonnative species
Original Paper
Plant Sciences
Porifera
Sarcotragus
Seawater
stolons
Symbiosis
Adriatic Sea
MED, Adriatic Sea
Chemotropism
Sponge
Porifera
var
Invasive macroalgae
Sarcotragus spinosulus
Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea
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Summary:Here we present the first observation of the impact of the invasive Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea on native photophilic sponge species in the Adriatic Sea, with special focus on Sarcotragus spinosulus. Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea is able to completely overgrow the sponge, developing an exceptionally thick canopy with a maximum measured density of 1,887 m of stolons m−2 and 40,561 fronds m−2. Necrosis of the sponge surface was significantly correlated with the algal dry biomass, frond number and stolon length. Dense algal canopy, penetration of the algal stolon and rhizoids into the sponge oscula and covering of the ostiae probably diminishes the seawater circulation through the sponge and consequently results in its smothering and even death. We suggest that chemotropism is the reason why C. racemosa penetrates the sponge oscula and establishes such dense canopy on the sponge.
Bibliography:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-011-0043-6
ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:1387-3547
1573-1464
DOI:10.1007/s10530-011-0043-6