Spatial Overlap and Coexistence in a Mussel‐Associated Polychaete Assemblage on a South American Rocky Shore

Abstract

Abstract. Mussel beds in the intertidal of subtropical South America are known to harbour a large number of invertebrates, particularly polychaetes. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the patterns of spatial overlap and coexistence in an assemblage of polychaetes associated with mussel beds in a rocky intertidal habitat on the Pacific coast of Peru. Mussel beds are made up of two zones in the intertidal: the lower, more extensive zone formed by Semimytilus algosus and the upper zone formed by Perumytilus purpuratus. Null models were employed to assess the magnitude of spatial overlap between pairs of taxa encompassing a total of seven taxonomic groups. Two taxa belonging to the same functional group tended to be spatially segregated in the Semimytilus bed: Pseudonereis vs. Halosydna (large free‐ranging predators) and Scoloplos vs. Mediomastus (deposit feeders), with further segregating tendencies between Pseudonereis and Mediomastus, and between Halosydna and Scoloplos. Small‐sized, free‐ranging ‘Typosyllis’ and the bottom‐dwelling scavenging predator Lumbrineris were also spatially associated. Thus, this polychaete assemblage appears to be loosely organised around groupings of taxa which are somewhat different in ecological traits and form mosaic patterns of distribution with reduced overlap within the Semimytilus bed. These relationships were weak to non‐existent in the upper, drier Perumytilus habitat where polychaete density was low.

Habitat structure is more important than nutrient supply in modifying mussel bed assemblage in an upwelling area of the Peruvian coast

“…In intertidal rocky shores, mytilids create a 3-dimensional structure that consists of three major components: the mussel matrix, an assemblage of associated organisms and accumulated detritus (Suchanek 1985). These structures facilitate colonization by certain organisms (Suchanek 1978(Suchanek , 1985, which would either decrease in density or altogether disappear if mytilids did not exist on the rocky substratum (Tokeshi and Romero 2000). Ecosystem engineering (i.e.…”

Crustacea Decapoda associated with Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fischer, 1870) (Mollusca, Bivalvia) beds from the Levantine coasts of Turkey

“…Mussel beds, as structurally and functionally complex entities, are known to harbour lots of animals in interstitial spaces or on surfaces provided by the mussels and by the algae growing on their shells (Tsuchiya & Bellan-Santini, 1989;Seed, 1996;Tokeshi & Romero, 2000;Tsuchiya, 2002). The species composition and diversity of the associated fauna are controlled by the position and the specific features of the mussel beds or patches, e.g., the tidal level, the age structure of the mussels, the quality of ambient water, and by the species of mussel involved (Tsuchiya, 2002).…”

“…Investigations have been carried out to date dealing either with faunal assemblages (Kiseleva, 1968;Tsuchiya & Bellan-Santini, 1989;Topaloglu & Kihara, 1993;Seed, 1996;Saier, 2002;Thiel & Ullrich, 2002;Tsuchiya, 2002;Adami et al, 2004;Chintiroglou et al, 2004;Hammond & Griffiths, 2004;Çinar et al, 2007), or specific groups (Lantzouni et al, 1998;Damianidis & Chintiroglou, 2000;Tokeshi & Romero, 2000) in association with mussel beds. No specific research has been carried out thus far on the decapod fauna in association with mussel beds.…”

Caracterização Da Fauna Vágil Associada Ao Cultivo Suspenso De Mexilhões

“…Os espaços intersticiais criados pelos bancos de mexilhões possuem uma grande variedade de organismos, entretanto são normalmente dominados por poliquetas (Tokeshi, 1995;Cole, 2010), que apresentam uma importante função na estrutura e na dinâmica dessas comunidades. Por exemplo, muitos poliquetas regulam a densidade de outros organismos, como anfípodes, bivalves e outros anelídeos, através da predação, da perturbação do hábitat, e competição (Tita et al, 2000;Tokeshi & Romero, 2000). A família Nereididae é comumente encontrada em ambientes rasos de regiões estuarinas e do entre-marés (Amaral et al, 2013), muitas espécies ocorrem no costão rochoso e associados a bancos de mexilhões (Hammond & Griffiths, 2006).…”