The coral-killing sponge Chalinula nematifera as a common substrate generalist in Komodo National Park, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

Chalinula nematifera is an encrusting sponge (Porifera: Haplosclerida), which can overgrow live corals. Originally described from the central Pacific (Marshall Islands), this coral-killing sponge is raising concerns due to its rapid range expansion in the Pacific. Its ability to overgrow various coral species was documented at Komodo National Park in October 2016. It was observed at six sites out of ten, where it was overgrowing and/or peripherally interacting with living corals belonging to 13 species, some of which represent new host records. It was also found on dead coral colonies previously covered by algae or sediment, and on encrusting coralline algae. Its habitat choice showed no obvious preferences regarding host corals and depth range.

SUBJECT EDITOR:

• Paco Cárdenas

KEYWORDS:

• Coral reef
• interaction
• overgrowth
• encrusting sponge
• Terpios hoshinota
• Nusa Tenggara Tengah
• Pacific Ocean

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Eva Turicchia http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8952-9028

Bert W. Hoeksema http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8259-3783

Massimo Ponti http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6521-1330