Dka. Barnes, COMMUNITIES OF EPIBIOTA ON 2 ERECT SPECIES OF ANTARCTIC BRYOZOA, Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 74(4), 1994, pp. 863-872
Two erect species of bryozoans, Alloeflustra tenuis (Kluge) and Nemato
flustra flagellata (Waters), occur abundantly in similar localities at
Signy Island, Antarctica. Both species are unilaminar and are coloniz
ed by a range of epibiotic taxa, principally other cheilostome bryozoa
ns. A detailed study was undertaken of the bryozoan epibiota of these
two species, collected by SCUBA over the depth range 36 to 40 m. The d
egree of colonization varied with host size and differed between the f
ront and rear surfaces of each host species, and between host species.
The species composition of the epibiota was also different between sp
ecies and between surfaces within species. These variations are possib
ly related to differences between the host species in the abundance, s
tructure and function of avicularia (putative protective structures).
Specimens from deeper water (150 m) showed significantly reduced colon
ization by epibiota, but the same overall patterns of colonization bet
ween the two species and surfaces were still observed.