Hydrozoa source details
Montano S, Reimer JD, Ivanenko VN, GarcÍa-Hernandez JE, van Moorsel GWNM, Galli P, Hoeksema BW. (2020). Widespread Occurrence of a Rarely Known Association between the Hydrocorals Stylaster roseus And Millepora alcicornis at Bonaire, Southern Caribbean. Diversity-Basel. 12(6): 218.
384691
10.3390/d12060218 [view]
Montano S, Reimer JD, Ivanenko VN, GarcÍa-Hernandez JE, van Moorsel GWNM, Galli P, Hoeksema BW
2020
Widespread Occurrence of a Rarely Known Association between the Hydrocorals Stylaster roseus And Millepora alcicornis at Bonaire, Southern Caribbean.
Diversity-Basel
12(6): 218
Publication
Jun 2020
Available for editors 
Among symbiotic associations, cases of pseudo-auto-epizoism, in which a species uses a resembling but not directly related species as substrate, are poorly documented in coral reef ecosystems. In the present study, we assessed the distribution of an association between the hydrocoralsStylaster roseusandMillepora alcicornison about 50% of coral reef sites studied in Bonaire, southern Caribbean. Although previously thought to be uncommon, associations between the lace coralS. roseusand the fire coralM. alcicorniswere observed at both the windward and leeward sides of Bonaire, mainly between 15 and 25 m depth, reaching a maximum occupation of 47S. roseuscolonies on a singleM. alcicorniscolony. Both species' tissues did not show any signs of injuries, while an in-depth inspection of the contact points of their skeletons revealed that both partners can partially overgrow each other. How it is possible thatS. roseusis able to settle on the stinging tissue ofMilleporaas well as how, by contrast, the latter may facilitate the lace coral by offering a certain degree of protection are questions that deserve further investigations.
Stylaster roseus (Pallas, 1766) (additional source)