Multispecies associations of macrosymbionts on the comatulid crinoid Comanthina schlegeli (Carpenter) in southern Taiwan

Macrosymbionts on comatulid crinoids Comanthina schlegeli (n=41) were surveyed at Kenting National Park, southern Taiwan. Symbionts were found on 40 of 41 of C. schlegeli. The 135 adults and one juvenile found included 10 species of decapod crustaceans in four families (97% of the total). The clingfish, Discotrema crinophila, accounted for the remaining 3%. Up to nine individuals and five species were associated with a single host. Synalpheid snapping shrimps and clingfish were mutually exclusive and found alone or in heterosexual pairs on the oral disk. Five species of palaemonid shrimps were found usually as pairs on arms. A galatheid anomuran Allogalathea elegans and a brachyuran Permanotus purpureus occupied the base of the cirri. Co-occurring symbionts partitioned host space. ©2005 Balaban.

Duke Scholars

Author Daniel Rittschof Marine Science and Conservation