Parasitism, commensalism or mutualism? The case of Scyphozoa (Coronatae) and horny sponges

The relationship between the scyphozoan Nausitoe punctata and the horny sponges Cacospongia scalans, Dysidea avara and D. fragdis was analyzed. Evidence was found for utilization of the thecae of N. punctata as a substitute for skeletal fibres. Consequently some metabolic costs associated with skele...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Uriz, María Jesús, Rosell, Dolors, Maldonado, Manuel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:1992
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/3028
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/3028
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Nausitoe punctata
Cacospongia scalans
Dysidea avara
D. fragilis
Scyphozoa (Coronatae)
Demospongiae
Northwestern Mediterranean
Descripción
Sumario:The relationship between the scyphozoan Nausitoe punctata and the horny sponges Cacospongia scalans, Dysidea avara and D. fragdis was analyzed. Evidence was found for utilization of the thecae of N. punctata as a substitute for skeletal fibres. Consequently some metabolic costs associated with skeleton-buildng may be reduced for the sponge. Further potential benefits for the scyphozoan, e.g. protection against predation and mechanical disturbance, and trophic advantages, are discussed This association is suggested to be non-parasitic and mutualistic, and widely distributed among 6 orders and 8 families of the Demospongiae which occur throughout the Northwestern Mediterranean.