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Macrobenthic fauna associated with Diopatra cuprea (Onuphidae: Polychaeta) tubes on a macrotidal sandy beach of the Brazilian Amazon Coast

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2018

T.M.T. Santos Open the ORCID record for T.M.T. Santos [Opens in a new window]  and
D. Aviz Open the ORCID record for D. Aviz [Opens in a new window]
T.M.T. Santos*
Affiliation:
Grupo de Estudos de Nematoda Aquáticos, Laboratório de Pesquisa em Monitoramento Ambiental Marinho, Universidade Federal do Pará. Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA. CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
D. Aviz
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Geociência, Universidade Federal do Pará, Av. Augusto Corrêa s/n, Guamá, Belém, PA. CEP: 66075-110, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: T.M.T. Santos, E-mail: thuareag@gmail.com
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Abstract

Tube-building polychaetes are an important group of marine bioengineers in soft-bottom habitats, where they provide structures that potentially influence the composition of the benthic community. The present study investigated the effects of Diopatra cuprea tubes on the structure of the macrobenthic fauna found on a sandy beach of the Amazon coast. Samples were collected in June (rainy season) and September (dry season) 2012 in two different areas: (1) an area in which D. cuprea tubes were present, and (2) a control area, in which worm tubes were absent. A total of 53 taxa were found, of which 30 were associated exclusively with D. cuprea tubes. While large aggregations of D. cuprea were not found in the study area, the presence of even a single tube may have a significant influence on the environmental conditions available for other organisms, especially those adapted to consolidated or muddy substrates. The two areas presented different seasonal patterns. A significant increase in the abundance and richness of the macrofauna was observed in area 1 in the rainy season, when the density of worm tubes increased and the hydrodynamic conditions were less intense. The results of the study highlight the importance of this organism as an ecosystem engineer on the sandy beaches of the Amazon coast.

Keywords

Benthosecosystem engineeringestuaryworm tubes
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 99 , Issue 4 , June 2019 , pp. 751 - 759
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2018 

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