Rates of apical septal extension of Desmophyllum dianthus: Effect of association with endolithic photo-autotrophs

Christiane Hassenrück; Carin Jantzen; Günter Försterra; Verena Häussermann; Philippe Willenz

doi:10.1007/s00227-013-2281-x

Rates of apical septal extension of Desmophyllum dianthus: Effect of association with endolithic photo-autotrophs

Christiane Hassenrück^*, Carin Jantzen, Günter Försterra, Verena Häussermann, Philippe Willenz

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

It has been hypothesized that endolithic photo-autotrophs inside the skeleton of cold-water corals may have a mutualistic relationship with the coral host positively affecting coral calcification. This study investigated the effect of endolithic photo-autotrophs on the apical septal extension of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus at Fjord Comau, southern Chile (42.41°-42.15°S, 72.5°W). The fluorescent staining agent calcein was used to document the linear apical extension of septae for a period of one and a half years between 2006 and 2007. The results showed a severe reduction in extension rates associated with the presence of endolithic photo-autotrophs. Infested individuals grew about half as fast as non-infested polyps with a median value of 1.18 μm day^-1 compared to 2.76 μm day^-1. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, these results point toward a parasitic relationship between D. dianthus and its endolithic photo-autotrophs potentially impairing coral fitness. However, further data on physiological parameters and other aspects of the calcification process are necessary to confirm these findings.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2919-2927
Number of pages	9
Journal	Marine Biology
Volume	160
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2281-x
State	Published - 2013
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments Many thanks to Claudio Richter, Kerstin Beyer, Marlene Wall, Lars Beierlein, Johannes Freitag, Sebastian Baum-garten and Tristan Chipchase for supporting CH in her research and the staff of the Huinay Scientific field station for helping to complete the field work for this study (Liz Atwood, David Thompson, Russell Smart, Michelle Marcotte, Josh Biro). PhW was supported by a travel grant from the Fonds Léopold III pour l’Exploration et la Conservation de la Nature. This is publication nr. 82 of Huinay Scientific Field Station.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Aquatic Science
Ecology

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title = "Rates of apical septal extension of Desmophyllum dianthus: Effect of association with endolithic photo-autotrophs",

abstract = "It has been hypothesized that endolithic photo-autotrophs inside the skeleton of cold-water corals may have a mutualistic relationship with the coral host positively affecting coral calcification. This study investigated the effect of endolithic photo-autotrophs on the apical septal extension of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus at Fjord Comau, southern Chile (42.41°-42.15°S, 72.5°W). The fluorescent staining agent calcein was used to document the linear apical extension of septae for a period of one and a half years between 2006 and 2007. The results showed a severe reduction in extension rates associated with the presence of endolithic photo-autotrophs. Infested individuals grew about half as fast as non-infested polyps with a median value of 1.18 μm day-1 compared to 2.76 μm day-1. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, these results point toward a parasitic relationship between D. dianthus and its endolithic photo-autotrophs potentially impairing coral fitness. However, further data on physiological parameters and other aspects of the calcification process are necessary to confirm these findings.",

author = "Christiane Hassenr{\"u}ck and Carin Jantzen and G{\"u}nter F{\"o}rsterra and Verena H{\"a}ussermann and Philippe Willenz",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments Many thanks to Claudio Richter, Kerstin Beyer, Marlene Wall, Lars Beierlein, Johannes Freitag, Sebastian Baum-garten and Tristan Chipchase for supporting CH in her research and the staff of the Huinay Scientific field station for helping to complete the field work for this study (Liz Atwood, David Thompson, Russell Smart, Michelle Marcotte, Josh Biro). PhW was supported by a travel grant from the Fonds L{\'e}opold III pour l{\textquoteright}Exploration et la Conservation de la Nature. This is publication nr. 82 of Huinay Scientific Field Station.",

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N2 - It has been hypothesized that endolithic photo-autotrophs inside the skeleton of cold-water corals may have a mutualistic relationship with the coral host positively affecting coral calcification. This study investigated the effect of endolithic photo-autotrophs on the apical septal extension of the cold-water coral Desmophyllum dianthus at Fjord Comau, southern Chile (42.41°-42.15°S, 72.5°W). The fluorescent staining agent calcein was used to document the linear apical extension of septae for a period of one and a half years between 2006 and 2007. The results showed a severe reduction in extension rates associated with the presence of endolithic photo-autotrophs. Infested individuals grew about half as fast as non-infested polyps with a median value of 1.18 μm day-1 compared to 2.76 μm day-1. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, these results point toward a parasitic relationship between D. dianthus and its endolithic photo-autotrophs potentially impairing coral fitness. However, further data on physiological parameters and other aspects of the calcification process are necessary to confirm these findings.

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Rates of apical septal extension of Desmophyllum dianthus: Effect of association with endolithic photo-autotrophs

Abstract

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