Influence of colour of substratum on recruitment of spirorbid tubeworms to different types of intertidal boulders

James, Robert G.; Underwood, A. J.

doi:10.1016/0022-0981(94)90107-4

Cited by 67 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The observation that sessile invertebrates dominate shaded surfaces (James & Underwood 1994, Baynes 1999, Glasby 1999b) is often explained by long-standing laboratory observations of larval behaviour; that is, many species become photonegative as they end their pelagic larval phase (Thorson 1964, Dirnberger 1993 Indeed, field experiments show that it is only in the presence of shade that the recruitment of invertebrates responds to surface orientation; e.g. up-and downfacing surfaces (Saunders & Connell 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the most striking and widespread patterns observed on subtidal rocky reefs is that up-facing surfaces are monopolized by algae whereas down-facing surfaces are dominated by sessile invertebrates (Osman 1977, Withers & Thorp 1977, Todd & Turner 1986, James & Underwood 1994, Baynes 1999. Although these habitat associations have been widely documented, few controlled, replicated field experiments have investigated the factors responsible for them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sedimentation and light penetration interact to maintain heterogeneity of subtidal habitats: algal versus invertebrate dominated assemblages

Irving¹,

Connell

2002

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

134

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One of the most striking and widespread patterns observed on subtidal rocky reefs is that up-facing surfaces are monopolized by algae, whereas down-facing surfaces are dominated by sessile invertebrates. This study experimentally assessed the model that light and sedimentation interact with surface orientation to maintain this pattern of habitat heterogeneity. We tested the hypothesis that if epibiotic assemblages on down-facing surfaces were rotated to face upward, then the least change in assemblage structure would occur on shaded surfaces with reduced rates of sedimentation. In general, the alternate states of algal vs invertebrate dominated assemblages appeared to be primarily maintained by light intensity, which facilitated the cover of algae on up-facing surfaces (full light) and invertebrates on down-facing surfaces (reduced light). Although sedimentation was only partially responsible for differences between habitat types, it acted as a negative disturbance on the abundance of algae and survivorship of invertebrates. When combined with differences in light intensity, high rates of sediment accumulation had slight negative effects under natural light, but under shaded conditions these negative effects were substantially increased, causing changes to the structure of the whole assemblage. This result warns that attempts to identify the effects of sedimentation in isolation from light intensity, which depends on factors such as turbidity, may not reveal the true effects of sedimentation on epibiotic assemblages. The ability of invertebrates to withstand high rates of sediment accumulation was related to their morphology, whereby erect forms growing above accumulated sediments had greater rates of survivorship than prostrate growth forms, which tended to be smothered by sediments. To properly understand the physical processes of facilitation (e.g. light intensity) and disturbance (e.g. sedimentation) we need to assess them in meaningful combinations so that explanations of assemblage structure do not create the false impression that such processes, however complex, produce only small effects relative to other processes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sedimentation and light penetration interact to maintain heterogeneity of subtidal habitats: algal versus invertebrate dominated assemblages

Irving¹,

Connell

2002

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

134

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“…Since then, numerous benthic studies have shown that the species distribution of soft-sediment infaunal invertebrates usually correlates closely with the distribution of particular sediment types (Scheltema 1974, Butman 1987, James & Underwood 1994, Snelgrove & Butman 1994). Wilson reported the importance of substratum size and form on the metamorphosis of the ophelidae larvae (1948, 1952, 1953a,b, 1955) and the metamorphosis delay in the absence of substratum for the Owenia fusiformis larvae (1932).…”

Section: Resale or Republication Not Permitted Without Written Consenmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wilson reported the importance of substratum size and form on the metamorphosis of the ophelidae larvae (1948, 1952, 1953a,b, 1955) and the metamorphosis delay in the absence of substratum for the Owenia fusiformis larvae (1932). Recruitment, defined as metamorphosis, settlement (juvenile transformation and tube construction) and survival (Underwood 1979), involves a combination of physical and biological factors which are responsible for the spatial distribution of populations (James & Underwood 1994).…”

Section: Resale or Republication Not Permitted Without Written Consenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of sediment particle size on recruitment of Owenia fusiformis in the Bay of Blanes (NW Mediterranean Sea): an experimental approach to explain field distribution

Pinedo¹,

Sardá²,

Rey³

et al. 2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…substratum on which the boulder rests and depth of water), which may influence the patterns of dispersion of Heliocidaris. James & Underwood (1994) found that the colour of the boulders influenced the recruitment of spirorbid tubeworms. McGuinness & Underwood (1986) showed that the complexity of the surface and the material from which the boulder was made significantly affected the number and/or abundance of mobile species that colonised boulders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Small-scale variability in the dispersion of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma among boulders

Smoothey

Chapman²

2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Densities of many organisms, particularly invertebrates, are inherently patchy from place to place, with much variability at small spatial scales. Intertidal and shallow subtidal boulder fields in New South Wales, Australia, support a diverse suite of species, many of which have very patchy distributions among boulders. In this study, the purple urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma was very patchily distributed at small spatial scales, being abundant under some boulders and absent from others. This pattern was found consistently at different times and in boulder fields tens of kilometres apart. Experiments were done to identify mechanism(s) that may establish and maintain the observed distribution. Small-scale variability in distribution was established early in the animals' life-cycle, because Heliocidaris recruits were more abundant on boulders with adult urchins than on boulders without adult urchins. Manipulative experiments indicated that the pattern of dispersion was also maintained by the behavioural responses of juvenile and adult urchins to either feature(s) of boulders or to cues associated with conspecifics. When Heliocidaris were transplanted to boulders originally without urchins, they left at a greater rate than did urchins on boulders that originally had urchins but from which urchins had been removed. In addition, juvenile and adult urchins colonised more boulders with urchins than boulders without urchins. Behavioural responses to unidentified but specific requirements of habitat provided by some boulders may thus be important in maintaining non-random densities of urchins among boulders.

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Influence of colour of substratum on recruitment of spirorbid tubeworms to different types of intertidal boulders

Cited by 67 publications

References 24 publications

Sedimentation and light penetration interact to maintain heterogeneity of subtidal habitats: algal versus invertebrate dominated assemblages

Sedimentation and light penetration interact to maintain heterogeneity of subtidal habitats: algal versus invertebrate dominated assemblages

Effect of sediment particle size on recruitment of Owenia fusiformis in the Bay of Blanes (NW Mediterranean Sea): an experimental approach to explain field distribution

Small-scale variability in the dispersion of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma among boulders

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