Growth and longevity in giant barrel sponges: Redwoods of the reef or Pines in the Indo-Pacific?

ABSTRACT: Describing life history dynamics of functionally important species is critical for successful management. Barrel sponges (Xestospongia spp.) fill ecologically important roles on coral reefs due to their large size and water column interactions. Studies of Caribbean X. muta suggest they may be up to 1000 s of years old. However, nothing is known of barrel sponge growth rates outside the Caribbean. We assessed Indo-Pacific barrel sponge demography with a focus on specific growth rate (SGR), density, and mean volume across four sites of varying habitat quality. Four growth models were compared using Akaike's Information Criterion using a multi-model inference approach. Age was extrapolated and validated based on sponge size on a shipwreck of known age. Sponges from different sites showed diff

SUBMITTER: McGrath EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6193018 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature