Endofauna differences between two temperate marine sponges from southwest Australia

Brief description

The endofaunal assemblages associated with two species of sponge from the family Chalinidae (Haliclona sp. 1 and Haliclona sp. 2) were studied at four locations (Bremer Bay, Hamelin Bay, Rottnest Island, and Jurien Bay) during the Australian summer (December-March) of 2005/2006. The volume of each sponge was determined using underwater stereo camera, endofauna were counted and weighed and internal space of each host sponge was measured.

Lineage

Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlanned

Statement: Whole sponges (n = 4) from each Haliclona species were haphazardly collected on SCUBA from depths of 10-15 m from four locations (Bremer Bay, 34.45 degrees S, 119.38 degrees E; Hamelin Bay 34.20 degrees S, 115.04 degrees E; Rottnest Island 32.00 degrees S, 115.52 degrees E; and Jurien Bay 30.275 degrees S, 115.02 degrees E) along the
south western coast of Western Australia. All samples were collected during the Australian summer (December - March) of 2005/2006. To determine the volume of each sponge, five stereo image pairs of each specimen were recorded using an underwater stereo camera prior to collection to obtain precise size estimates (Abdo et al. 2006). Each set of images (for each sponge collected) was later processed to obtain a volume estimate (Abdo et al. 2006). Collections of endofauna (that is fauna found inhabiting the internal spaces of the sponge) from each sponge were made by covering the sponge with a plastic bag in situ, and severing the sponges from the substratum using a flat blade scraper.

In the laboratory the sponges were carefully dissected to collect any fauna associated with their internal spaces. Any water from the plastic bag was sieved (using a 1 mm sieve) to collect fauna, which may have left the sponge during transportation to the laboratory. All endofauna were counted, weighed and preserved in 70% ethanol pending taxonomic identification. An estimate of the internal space available to associated endofauna was made by cutting a section of tissue from each host sponge and photographing each section. The total area of sponge tissue and area of open space was determined in PhotoshopTM. The percentage of internal space was determined by the following equation:

Internal space (%) = (Area of open space (mm2) / Total area of tissue (mm2)) x 100

Notes

Credit
School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia (UWA)