Diversity of mangrove root-dwelling sponges in a tropical coastal ecosystem in the southern Gulf of Mexico region

Abstract

Sponges are one of the most conspicuous groups of epibionts in mangrove prop root habitats. However, with the exception of the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific regions, studies focused on species diversity are lacking in other locations that have high mangrove coverage and are relatively distant from coral reef environments. Because mangrove-root epibiont communities, in general, have been understudied worldwide, this research contributes to filling this knowledge gap. In this study, a total of 30 sponge species (belonging to three subclasses, 14 families and 19 genera) were recorded as epibionts on prop roots of the red mangrove Rhizophora mangle in a tropical coastal ecosystem of the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Of these, five were new records for the Gulf of Mexico, 14 were new for the Mexican coasts of the gulf and 25 were new for the study area. Moreover, a similarity analysis based on presence/absence data of mangrove-associated sponges reported throughout the Western Central Atlantic region revealed that the sponge assemblage from the study area was more similar to those documented in most of the Caribbean locations (Jamaica, Cuba, Martinique, Panama, Venezuela, Belize and Colombia) rather than with those of the Northeast of the Gulf of Mexico, Guadeloupe and Trinidad. This relative intra-regional dissimilarity in the structure of mangrove-associated sponge assemblages may be related to differences in environmental conditions as well as taxonomic effort. The study area, unlike most of the Caribbean locations, is characterized by estuarine conditions and high productivity throughout the year. The inter-site variability recorded in the composition of mangrove-associated sponges was influenced by a set of factors such as salinity, dissolved oxygen and hydrodynamism. This study shows the importance of exploring the mangrove-associated sponge assemblages from different regions of the world as it furthers knowledge of the biodiversity and global distribution of this group.

Microplastic distribution in urban vs pristine mangroves: Using marine sponges as bioindicators of environmental pollution

“…Samples of two different sponge species were also collected (by hand while snorkelling) at each site. At site A, five individuals of H. implexiformis and five of A. atlantica were collected, and at site B, five H. implexiformis and five H. melanadocia individuals were collected (Figure 2), representing the dominant species in both areas (Castellanos-Pérez et al, 2020). The collection methods were stratified random point for each compartment and were undertaken in August 2019.…”

A checklist of the southwestern Madagascar sponge fauna with taxonomic updates based on the current systematics

“…Quite classically as in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas well studied so far (e.g. Fromont et al, 2016;Pérez et al, 2017;Grenier et al, 2018;Castellanos-Pérez et al, 2020), Poecilosclerida and Haplosclerida are the two dominant orders displaying the largest number of inventoried species. In contrast, the Calcarea and Homoscleromorpha are the two least represented classes in this inventory.…”

Epibiont community composition of red mangroves Rhizophora mangle are contingent on root characteristics

“…A number of studies on mangroves and their associated biodiversity have focused on associations between mangrove root traits and fish communities (Nagelkerken et al 2010) or relationships between epibionts and fishes (MacDonald et al 2008, Mac -Donald & Weis 2013. Other studies have examined the relationships between epibionts and mangroves (Pawlik et al 2007, Guerra-Castro et al 2011, 2021, Guerra-Castro & Cruz-Motta 2018, Hunting et al 2013a, 2013b or epibionts and environmental factors (Castellanos-Pérez et al 2020) to better understand what factors account for the diversity in epibiont communities. For example, some studies have tested the importance of substrate by comparing epibiont communities between natural mangrove roots and either mangrove root mimics (e.g.…”