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The importance of competitor identity, morphology and ranking methodology to outcomes in interference competition between sponges

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Abstract

The nature or structure of competition within communities has been a dynamic area of practical and theoretical research for a number of decades. Certain components of some communities have proved hard to incorporate within such studies; in marine benthic work this has included the sponges. In this study, intra- and inter-phyletic interactions involving sponges (7,817 in total) were studied on 125 rocks (ranging in surface area from 10 to 2,438 cm2) at a site experiencing low disturbance levels at Lough Hyne Marine Nature Reserve, Co. Cork, Ireland. The outcomes of sponge-sponge (intra-phyletic) interactions were significantly different in both outcome and structure to those involving sponges and representatives of other phyla. Typically sponge-sponge competition resulted in a much higher number of tied outcomes than did inter-phyletic encounters. Sponges over-grew all groups of organisms with the exception of some cnidarians and ascidians. The morphology of any sponge species (thickness in most cases) was important in determining the outcome of intra-phyletic, but not inter-phyletic, interactions. Sponges which exhibited thick (>2 mm) crusts were, in the majority of interactions, superior competitors compared to the thin (<1 mm) crusts. However, the method used to rank species (i.e. wins:loss or wins:total ratio) made a significant difference to the ranking of sponge competitors. The transitivity of the sponge assemblage investigated was calculated using the index formulated by Tanaka and Nandakumar (1994) as 0.23, indicating the assemblage to be organised as a network rather than a hierarchical system. We suggest this network of principally tied outcomes (due to standoffs) may be maintained in part by chemical interaction. However, in the absence of disturbance, the network is more likely to be mediated through processes of growth and regression of tissues during summer and winter months respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Declan O' Donnell from the Irish Wildlife Service (Duchas) for granting permits for research at Lough Hyne (permit number R04/00). The authors would also like to express their gratitude to John Bohane, the caretaker of Lough Hyne, for his dedication to Lough Hyne over the years. Forbait Ireland (Enterprise Ireland) also provided financial assistance.

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  1. J. J. Bell

    Present address: School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 228, Berkshire, RG6 6AJ, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, National University of Ireland Cork, Lee Maltings, Co. Cork, Ireland

    J. J. Bell

  2. British Antarctic Society, High Cross Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, UK

    D. K. A. Barnes

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  1. J. J. Bell
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Correspondence to J. J. Bell.

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Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin

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Bell, J.J., Barnes, D.K.A. The importance of competitor identity, morphology and ranking methodology to outcomes in interference competition between sponges. Marine Biology 143, 415–426 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1081-0

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