V. V. Khalaman, N. M. Korchagina, A. Yu. Komendantov - The impact of waterborne cues from conspecifics and other species on the larvae of Halichondria panicea Pallas, 1766 (Porifera: Demospongiae)

BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2014, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 38-45

The impact of waterborne cues from conspecifics and other species on the larvae of Halichondria panicea Pallas, 1766 (Porifera: Demospongiae)

¹Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, White Sea Biological Station, Saint Petersburg 199034;
¹Chair of Embryology, Faculty of Biology and Pedology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 199034

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The influence of different concentrations of the excretory-secretory products (ESP) of the solitary ascidian Styela rustica (Linnaeus, 1767) and the sponge Halichondria panicea (Pallas, 1766) on the settlement, metamorphosis, and mortality of H. panicea larvae was studied in laboratory experiment. At high concentrations, substances released into the environment by the ascidian S. rustica exerted a negative impact on the metamorphosis rate of sponge larvae. The exposure to moderate or high concentrations of ESP from conspecific adults led to high mortality of larval sponge; however, low conspecific ESP concentrations markedly stimulated metamorphosis, larval mortality was low. Apparently, different concentrations of the same ESP can have effects of different strength and focus. This should be taken into account in the study of chemically mediated interactions between aquatic organisms.

Key words: fouling communities, Halichondria panicea, Styela rustica, excretory-secretory products, larvae, settlement, metamorphosis, White Sea.