Hydroid epifaunal communities in Arctic coastal waters (Svalbard): effects of substrate characteristics

Abstract

The knowledge of cryptic epifaunal groups in the Arctic is far from complete mostly due to logistic difficulties. Only recently, advances in sample collection using SCUBA diving techniques have enabled to explore delicate hydroid fauna from shallow waters. This study is the first attempt to examine the relationship between substrate property (such as size of rock, morphological characteristics of algal or bryozoan host) and hydroid community composition and diversity in the Arctic. Samples of substrates for hydroid attachment including rocks, algae, bryozoans and other hydrozoans were collected around the Svalbard. Examination revealed no substratespecific species. The substrate property did not have a strong influence on hydroid community. Both species composition and richness were not related to colonized rock surface area and to morphological characteristic of algal host. Therefore, results indicate the opportunistic nature of hydroid fauna in terms of substrate preference. However, the presence or absence of hydroids depended on the surface area of rocky substrate. Hydroids were more often present on rocks of larger surface area. Erect hydroids and bryozoans were important attachment surface for stolonal hydroids.

Environmental factors structuring Arctic megabenthos—a case study from a shelf and two fjords

“…Benthic communities off the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard are influenced by a variety of factors, including water mass distribution, sedimentation, climate forcing, availability of biotic and abiotic substrata, disturbance, and food input Kuklinski et al, 2006b;Carroll and Ambrose, 2012;Kędra et al, 2012;Kortsch et al, 2012;Bałazy and Kuklinski, 2013;Ronowicz et al, 2013). Despite recent research efforts (Sswat et al, 2015), our understanding of how abiotic factors influence the megabenthos around Svalbard remains limited.…”

Assessment of serpulid-hydroid association through the Jurassic: A case study from the Polish Basin

“…The substantiation of such a mechanism is that the capability of free-living larvae to control their movement is very limited (see [ 88 ]). Recent bioclaustrated symbionts also show host preferences ([ 20 , 89 , 90 ]; however, see [ 91 ]), and some of them are completely dependent on the host [ 92 ].…”

Ptychogena lactea A. Agassiz, 1865 (Hydrozoa; Laodiceidae): What We Know on Taxonomy, Life-Cycle and Distribution

“…Franz-Josef Land, Island of Hayes (4-18 m) [7]. Spitsbergen Archipelago (depth interval was not indicated, but judging from the substrate "algae" it should be a shallow water) [31]. The substrate where hydroids were recorded is stones, gravel, algae, bryozoans and erect colonies of other hydroids.…”