Abstract
Mediterranean populations of Schizobrachiella sanguinea seem to span a wide range of contrasting benthic habitats. We have studied adult, larval, and recruit populations of S. sanguinea from sublittoral (approximately 10 m depth) communities at Blanes (Spain, NW Mediterranean). At the study site, the species colonises semi-obscure caves and, to a lesser extent, communities of sciaphilic algae. Our first goal was to show the periods of brooding, larval release, and recruitment. Plankton was collected about twice a week between July 1998 and June 2000 over an artificial reef. A total of 303 larvae were collected in 23 of the 102 days of sampling. At the study site the species shows a single, annual larval release period, which occurs from late March to June–July every year. Recruits were found from late May to late August 1999 and in late May 2000. A recruitment peak was observed in July 1999 and again in late May 2000. The presence of brooding adults corresponded to the periods of larval supply and recruitment. Our second goal was to investigate the causes of the variable distribution of the species along several communities in the north-west Mediterranean Sea. We describe adult distribution and the dynamics of larval supply, recruitment of early (≤15 days from settlement) and late (≤4 months from settlement) recruits. Patterns of larval presence and early recruit distribution along the communities on the reef did not reflect the adult distributions, whereas this was closely matched by the distribution of late recruits. Post-recruitment mortality strongly affected recruits of the PA (photophilic algae) and SA (sciaphilic algae) communities, whereas it was very low in the communities of SOC (semi-obscure caves). Mortality of recruits was density independent and colony survivorship in the SA communities, where recruitment was the highest, appeared strongly affected by competition with brown algae. Like the majority of cheilostomate bryozoans, S. sanguinea releases a coronate larva capable of active swimming and positive reaction to light. Such swimming abilities may allow larvae to actively select the substrate on which to settle and to avoid unsuitable substrates. It seems that larval behaviour does not explain the preference of S. sanguinea for sciaphilic habitats. High post-recruitment mortality due to various factors, especially competition with fast-growing algae, seems particularly relevant in determining the adult distributions observed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bertness MD, Gaines SD, Stephens EG, Yund PO (1992) Components of recruitment in populations of the acorn barnacle Semibalanus balanoides (Linneus). J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 156:199–215
Calvet L (1900) Contribution à l’histoire naturelle de Bryozoaires Ectoproctes marins. Trav Inst Zool Univ Montpellier 8 (I–X):1–488
Cebrián E, Ballesteros E, Canals M (2000) Shallow rocky bottom benthic assemblages as calcium carbonate producers in the Alboran Sea (southwestern Mediterranean). Oceanol Acta 23:311–322
Connell JH (1985) The consequences of variation in initial settlement versus post-settlement mortality in rocky intertidal communities. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 93:11–46
Day RW, Osman RW (1981) Predation by Patiria miniata (Asteroidea) on bryozoans: prey diversity may depend on the mechanism of succession. Oecologia: 51:300–309
Denley EJ, Underwood AJ (1979) Experiments on factors influencing settlement, survival and growth of two species of barnacles in New South Wales. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 36:269–293
Gaines S, Brown S, Roughgarden J (1985) Spatial variation in larval concentration as a cause of spatial variation in settlement for the barnacle Balanus glandula. Oecologia 67:267–272
Gautier YV (1962) Recherches écologiques sur le bryozoaires chilostomes en Mediterranée occidentale. Trav Stn Mar Endoume Bull 24:1–434
Grosberg RK (1982) Intertidal zonation of barnacles: the influence of planktonic zonation of larvae on vertical distribution of adults. Ecology 63:894–899
Hayward PJ, McKinney FK (2002) Northern Adriatic Bryozoa from the vicinity of Rovinji, Croatia. Bull Am Mus Nat Hist 270:1–139
Hughes TP (1990) Recruitment limitation, mortality, and population regulation in open systems: a case study. Ecology 71:12–20
Hurlbut CJ (1991a) The effects of larval abundance, settlement and juvenile mortality on the depth distribution of a colonial ascidian. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 150:183–202
Hurlbut CJ (1991b) Community recruitment: settlement and juvenile survival of seven co-occurring species of sessile invertebrates. Mar Biol 109:507–515
Iyengar EV, Harvell CD (2002) Specifity of cues inducing defensive spines in the bryozoan Membranipora membranacea. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 225:205–218
Jackson JBC (1986) Modes of dispersal of clonal benthic invertebrates: consequences for species’ distributions and genetic structure of local populations. Bull Mar Sci 39:588–606
Keough MJ (1984) Kin-recognition and the spatial distribution of larvae of the bryozoan Bugula neritina. Evolution 38:142–147
Keough MJ (1986) The distribution of a bryozoan on seagrass blades: settlement, growth and mortality. Ecology 67:846–857
Keough MJ, Chernoff H (1987) Dispersal and population variation in the bryozoan Bugula neritina. Ecology 68:199–210
Keough MJ, Downes BJ (1982) Recruitment of marine invertebrates: the role of active larval choices and early mortality. Oecologia 54:348–352
Keough MJ, Raimondi PT (1995) Responses of settling invertebrate larvae to bioorganic films: effects of different types of film. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 185:235–253
Kocak F, Zamboni N (1998) Settlement and seasonal changes of sessile macrobenthic communities on the panels in the Loano artificial Reef (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean). Oebalia 24:17–37
Levin LA, Bridges TS (1995) Pattern and diversity in reproduction and development. In: Mc-Edward L (ed) Ecology of marine invertebrate larvae. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp 79–122
Lynch WF (1947) The behavior and metamorphosis of the larva of Bugula neritina (Linneus): experimental modification of the length of the free-swimming period and the responses of the larvae to light and gravity. Biol Bull 92:115–150
Mariani S (2002) Larval supply and recruitment of invertebrates in the western Mediterranean: patterns in contrasting benthic communities. PhD thesis, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Mariani S (2003) Recruitment in invertebrates with short-lived larvae: the case of the bryozoan Disporella hispida (Fleming). Helgol Mar Res 57:47–53
Mariani S, Uriz MJ, Turon X (2000) Larval bloom of the oviparous sponge Cliona viridis: coupling of larval abundance and adult distribution. Mar Biol 137:783–790
Mariani S, Uriz MJ, Turon X (2003) Methodological bias in the estimations of important meroplanktonic components from near-shore bottoms. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 253:67–75
Marshall DJ, Bolton TF, Keough MJ (2003) Offspring size affects post-metamorphic performance of a colonial marine invertebrate. Ecology 84:3131–3137
Maturo FJS (1959) Seasonal distribution and settling rates of estuarine Bryozoa. Ecology 40:116–127
Menge BA (2000) Recruitment vs. post-recruitment processes as determinants of barnacle population abundance. Ecol Monogr 70:265–288
Minchinton TE (1997) Life on the edge: conspecific attraction and recruitment populations to disturbed habitats. Oecologia 111:45–52
Miron G, Boudreau B, Bourget E (1995) Use of larval supply in benthic ecology: testing correlations between larval supply and larval settlement. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 124:301–305
Nicoletti L, Chimenz Gusso C (1995) Bryozoan assemblages and relation with environmental factors: an example from the Latium coast (Italy). Oebalia 21:93–102
Olivier F, Tremblay R, Bourget E, Rittshof D (2000) Barnacle settlement: field experiments on the influence of larval supply, tidal level, biofilm quality and age of Balanus amphitrite cyprids. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 199:185–204
Olson RR (1985) The consequences of short-distance larval dispersal in a sessile marine invertebrate. Ecology 66:30–39
Raimondi PT (1988a) Settlement cues and determination of the vertical limit of an intertidal barnacle. Ecology 69:400–407
Raimondi PT (1988b) Rock type affects settlement, recruitment, and zonation of the barnacle Chtamalus anispoma (Pilsbury) J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 123:253–267
Raimondi PT (1990) Patterns, mechanisms, consequences of variability in settlement and recruitment of an intertidal barnacle. Ecol Monogr 60:283–309
Raimondi PT (1991) Settlement behavior of Chtamalus anisopoma larvae largely determines the adult distribution. Oecologia 85:349–360
Raimondi PT, Morse ANC (2000) The consequences of complex larval behavior in a coral. Ecology 81:3193–3211
Rodríguez SR, Ojeda FP, Inestrosa NC (1993) Settlement of marine benthic invertebrates. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 97:193–207
Roughgarden J, Gaines S, Possinghan H (1988) Recruitment dynamics in complex life cycles. Science 241:1460–1466
Ryland JS (1974) Behaviour, settlement and metamorphosis of bryozoan larvae: a review. Thalass Jugoslav 10:239–262
Sala E, Ballesteros E (1997) Partitioning of space and food resources by three fish of the genus Diplodus (Sparidae) in a Mediterranean rocky infralittoral ecosystem. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 152:273–283
Sale PF, Tolimieri N (2000) Density dependence at some time and place? Oecologia 124:166–171
Stoner DS (1990) Recruitment of a tropical colonial ascidian: relative importance of pre-settlement vs. post-settlement processes. Ecology 71:1682–1690
Strathmann RR, Branscomb ES, Vedder K (1981) Fatal errors in set as a cost of dispersal and the influence of intertidal flora on set of barnacles. Oecologia 48:13–18
Temkin MH, Zimmer RL (2002) Phylum Bryozoa. In: Young CM (ed) Atlas of marine invertebrate larvae. Academic Press, London, pp 411–428
Todd CD (1998) Larval supply and recruitment of benthic invertebrates: do larvae always disperse as much as we believe? Hydrobiologia 375/376:1–21
Underwood AJ, Denley EJ (1984) Paradigms, explanations and generalizations in models for the structure of intertidal communities on rocky shores. In: Strong DR, Simberloff D, Abele LG, Thistle A (eds) Ecological communities: conceptual issues and the evidence. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, pp 151–180
Underwood AJ, Keough MJ (2001) Supply-side ecology. The nature and consequences of variations in recruitment of intertidal organisms. In: Bertness MD, Gaines SD, Hay ME (eds) Marine community ecology. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA, pp 183–200
Uriz MJ (1982) Reproducción en Hymeniacidon sanguinea (Grant, 1926): biología de la larva y primeros estadios postlarvarios. Inv Pesq 46:29–39
Yund PO, Cunningham CW, Buss LW (1987) Recruitment and postrecruitment interactions in a colonial hydroid. Ecology 68:971–982
Zabala M (1986) Fauna dels briozous dels països catalans. Arxius de la Secció de Ciències LXXXIV, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Barcelona
Acknowledgements
We thank E. Ballesteros and M. Zabala for the identification, respectively, of the algal and bryozoan recruits and for advice. R. Arthur commented on early drafts. Special thanks go to I. Abreu and G. Carreras for assistance from the boat. The study benefited from European Community funds (Marie Curie Fellowship to S.M.) and by CTM2004-05265 grant from the CYCIT agency of the Spanish government.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by S.A. Poulet, Roscoff
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mariani, S., Alcoverro, T., Uriz, MJ. et al. Early life histories in the bryozoan Schizobrachiella sanguinea: a case study. Marine Biology 147, 735–745 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-1616-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-005-1616-7