Increased algal fouling on mussels with barnacle epibionts: a fouling cascade

GUTIERREZ, J,L.; M. G. PALOMO

JOURNAL OF SEA RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 112 p. 49 - 54

1385-1101

If the external surfaces of epibionts are more suitable to other fouling species than those of their basibionts, a?fouling cascade? might occur where epibionts facilitate secondary colonization by other epibionts. Here we evaluatewhether the presence of epibiotic barnalces (Balanus glandula) influences the probability of mussel(Brachidontes rodriguezii) fouling by ephemeral red algae (Porphyra sp.) in a Southwestern Atlantic rockyshore. Mussels with barnacle epibionts showed a higher prevalence of Porphyra sp. fouling (32?40% dependingon sampling date) than mussels without them (3?7%). Two lines of evidence indicate that barnacles facilitatePorphyra sp. fouling. First, most Porphyra sp. thalli in mussels with barnacle epibionts were attached to barnacleshells (75?92% of cases). Secondly, Porphyra sp. associated with mussels with barnacle epibionts in a proportionthat significantly exceeded that expected under randomco-occurrence. These results suggest the occurrence of afouling cascade where barnacle epibiosis on mussels facilitates subsequent algal fouling. Recognizing the occurrenceof such fouling cascades is important because they might explain the non-random aggregation of multipleepibiotic species onto a proportionally few individuals of the host species.