Symbiosis of Mycale (Mycale) vansoesti sp. nov. (Porifera, Demospongiae) with a coralline alga from North Sulawesi (Indonesia) |
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Authors: | Barbara Calcinai Carlo Cerrano Cecilia Totti Tiziana Romagnoli Giorgio Bavestrello |
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Institution: | Dipartimento di Scienze del Mare, UniversitàPolitecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy; Dipartimento per lo Studio del Territorio e delle sue Risorse, Universitàdegli Studi di Genova, Corso Europa 26, I-16132 Genova, Italy |
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Abstract: | Abstract. The symbiotic association between the new sponge species Mycale vansoesti and the coralline alga Amphiroa sp. from the Bunaken Marine Park (North Sulawesi, Indonesia) is described. The alga completely pervades the sponge. The color of the sponge ectosome is white, both on the external surface and on the atrial wall, but where the alga is present the sponge takes on the light pink color of the alga. The sponge spicular complement is characterized by mycalostyles, anisochelae of two types, sigmas (often "C" shaped), and extremely abundant toxas organized in bundles forming toxadragma. In the association, the sponge shows very low silicate value, and consequently the alga represents the main skeleton of the sponge. On the other hand, the sponge affects the morphology of the alga, leading to a cylindrical shape, with thalli running parallel to the sponge surface. This association seems to be obligate for the sponge, as we found no sponges of this species living in isolation. |
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Keywords: | sponges Amphiroa red algae coral reef Mycale symbiosis |
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