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Sponge habitat leading to diversity of Synalpheus Species

Sponges are commonly used among Synalpheus species as well as other sessile organisms as shelters. This is largely due to the aqua-porous canals that saturate the tissues of many sponge species allowing an exchange of water with the environment, which also serve as living spaces for Synalpheus species. The mean size and size range of canal spaces differ in four commonly used sponges Agelas clathrodes, Niphates amorpha, Xestospongia rosariensis, and Spheciospongia vesparium (Duffy 1992). These canal size differences were reflected in the various body sizes of the shrimp species associated with each of the sponge. This change in body size increases the variations among sponge colonies. Furthermore, dispersal from the natal sponge is very uncommon, leading to the restriction of gene flow among sponge colonies. With the added affect of body size variations due to sponge’s canal spaces and the halting of gene flow because of lack of dispersal, speciation events are common among sponge-dwelling shrimp. Perhaps the use of the sponge as a habitat has resulted in sponge-dwelling shrimp being very diverse with 24 species living sympatric—species residing together without any physical barrier—lifestyles in the San Blas Islands (Duffy 1992).

Glossary

  • Altruism - This is any behavior that benefits the receiver of the action while being detrimental to the actor. An example would be a male S. regalis defender being injured in combat against an intruder—the juveniles benefit (receivers) from this action because their lives are saved, while the action is detrimental to the male defenders (actors).
  • Caste - Forms of polymorphic animals that perform a specific function in the colony. Castes are a common characteristic of eusocial species. In the case of S. regalis there are three castes: large males who are defenders, a female who reproduces, and juveniles.
  • Conspecifics - Organisms belonging to the same species. In [link] male defenders are seen to be less aggressive towards intruders of the same species than those organisms of different species.
  • Direct Fitness - The genes contributed by an individual to future generations through producing offspring. Direct fitness is any gene transmission directly in the bodies of an organism’s offspring that completely owe their existence to their parent’s action of reproduction.
  • Division of Labor - Individuals in the colony have different tasks depending on various variables such as size and gender.
  • Eusociality - A group in which a specialized, non-reproductive caste works for the reproductive members of the colony, forgoing their chance of reproduction. Most common eusocial organisms are found in the orders Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants) and Isoptera (termites), as well as in naked mole rats, sponge-dwelling shrimp, aphids, and thrips. The three requirements of eusociality are: cooperative care of young, reproductive division of labor, and overlapping of generations.
  • Fitness - The measure of genes that an individual in a colony contributes to the next generation, usually stated in terms of the number of surviving offspring of the individual.
  • Gene Flow - This is the transfer of genes (in the form of alleles) from one population to another through means of dispersal (movement of individuals). The presence of gene flow decreases the genetic diversity among populations, but increases diversity within a population depending on the presence of the gene. In sponge-dwelling shrimp, dispersal is very low which halts the presence of gene flow between sponge colonies, inducing a speciation event.
  • Heterospecific - Organisms that belong to different species. In [link] , the male defenders attacked intruders of different species at a higher level than against conspecific intruders.
  • Indirect fitness - The genes contributed by an individual by helping to rear descendant kin into adulthood that would not have survived without their assistance. The non-reproducers of eusocial organisms depend on indirect fitness since it is the primary method of propagating their genes without reproducing.

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Source:  OpenStax, Mockingbird tales: readings in animal behavior. OpenStax CNX. Jan 12, 2011 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11211/1.5
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