BIOTIC

BIOTIC Species Information for Halichondria bowerbanki

Researched by

Dr Keith Hiscock and Hugh Jones

Data supplied by

MarLIN

Refereed by

Dr Rob van Soest

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Halichondria bowerbanki

Common name

Bowerbank's halichondria

MCS Code

C638

Recent Synonyms

None

Phylum

Porifera

Subphylum

Superclass

Class

Demospongiae

Subclass

Ceractinomorpha

Order

Halichondrida

Suborder

Family

Halichondriidae

Genus

Halichondria

Species

bowerbanki

Subspecies

Additional Information

Microscopic examination of the spicules reveals that they are relatively long and thin, and taper to the apices.
Named after James S. Bowerbank (1797-1877), a pioneering authority on sponges.
Easily confused with Halichondria panicea, but Halichondria bowerbanki is distinguished by the absence of the chimney-like oscules that occur in Halichondria panicea.

Taxonomy References

Howson & Picton, 1997, Soest van et al., 2000, Moss & Ackers, 1982,

General Biology

Growth form

Crustose soft

Feeding method

Active suspension feeder

Mobility/Movement

Permanent attachment

Environmental position

Epifaunal
Epilithic

Typical food types

Fine suspended organic matter.

Habit

Attached

Bioturbator

Not relevant

Flexibility

High (>45 degrees)

Fragility

Fragile

Size

Medium-large(21-50cm)

Height

Up to 12 cm

Growth Rate

Mean 1.1 mm/day in summer. None in winter.

Adult dispersal potential

Not relevant

Dependency

Commensal with/on/in

Sociability

Colonial

Toxic/Poisonous?

General Biology Additional Information

Under optimal conditions (and with a low sample number), Vethaak et al. (1982) recorded a mean length increase of 1.1 mm / day in summer and no growth in winter.
Vethaak et al. (1982) identified five distinct growth forms (plus intermediate forms) including incrusting, bushlike and massive forms. They reported a maximum colony size of 25 cm width to 12 cm high although most colonies are rarely this big.
In some sheltered locations the branches grow over other species and loop like bramble stolons attaching to any suitable object they encounter.
Found to house a large community of associated amphipod species which show seasonal variation (Biernbaum, 1981).
The green filamentous algae Microspora ficulinae lives in association with the tissues of Halichondria bowerbanki.

Biology References

Soest van et al., 2000, Moss & Ackers, 1982, Farnham et al., 1985, Biernbaum, 1981, Barthel & Wolfrath, 1989, Barthel, 1988,

Distribution and Habitat

Distribution in Britain & Ireland

Commonly found in southern England, Pembrokeshire and north west Wales, also frequently found in western Scotland. Isolated records from the North Sea.

Global distribution

Present on both sides of the north Atlantic. In Europe it has been reported south to Brittany, and is found in the south west Netherlands and in harbours of the Wadden Sea. It is a non-native species in North America.

Biogeographic range

Not researched

Depth range

Occasionally intertidal, to 90 m

Migratory

Non-migratory / Resident

Distribution Additional Information

In the United Kingdom, Halichondria bowerbanki (studied as Halichondria coalita) was recorded up to depths of 90 m (Bowerbank, 1874, cited in Vethaak et al., 1982).

Substratum preferences

Overhangs
Bedrock

Physiographic preferences

Estuary
Strait / sound
Ria / Voe
Isolated saline water (Lagoon)

Biological zone

Sublittoral Fringe

Wave exposure

Sheltered

Tidal stream strength/Water flow

Strong (3-6 kn)
Moderately Strong (1-3 kn)
Weak (<1 kn)

Salinity

Full (30-40 psu)
Reduced (18-30 psu)

Habitat Preferences Additional Information

Occurs in muddy environments where the similar sponge Halichondria panicea cannot survive. Reaches its best development in harbours. In the Oosterschelde, Halichondria bowerbanki was found growing on tunicates (especially Styela clava), molluscs and, in a brackish lagoon, on small reefs of Electra crustulenta (Vethaak et al., 1982).

Distribution References

Soest van et al., 2000, Hayward et al., 1996, Moss & Ackers, 1982, Biernbaum, 1981, Soest van, 1977, JNCC, 1999, NBN, 2002, Vethaak et al., 1982, Bowerbank, 1874,

Reproduction/Life History

Reproductive type

Permanent hermaphrodite

Developmental mechanism

Viviparous (Parental Care)

Reproductive Season

April to November

Reproductive Location

As adult

Reproductive frequency

Insufficient information

Regeneration potential

Yes

Life span

Insufficient information

Age at reproductive maturity

Insufficient information

Generation time

Insufficient information

Fecundity

Insufficient information

Egg/propagule size

Insufficient information

Fertilization type

Internal

Larvae/Juveniles
Larval/Juvenile dispersal potential	Insufficient information	Larval settlement period	Insufficient information
Duration of larval stage	Insufficient information

Reproduction Preferences Additional Information

In the Oosterschelde, large oocytes and embryos found from early August until mid-October which coincided with a drop in water temperature from maximal summer values to about 14 °C (Vethaak et al., 1982). Wapstra & van Soest (1987) recorded that Halichondria bowerbanki from the same area contained oocytes from April through to November although embryos were only observed from June to November. Newly settled colonies were seen within just over a year, i.e. the following September and October (Vethaak et al., 1982) . Wapstra & van Soest (1982) noted that it was possible that Halichondria bowerbanki could be protandrous or protogynous hermaphrodites. No information was found concerning the life span of Halichondria bowerbanki although a life span of about 3 years was suggested for the closely related Halichondria panicea in Fish & Fish (1996).

Halichondria bowerbanki survives over the winter months as a dormant form with no growth and a disintegration of tissue. In the Oosterschelde, this species experienced a drastic reduction in biomass during the severe winter of 1978/9, especially in the intertidal (Vethaak et al., 1982).

Reproduction References

Soest van et al., 2000, Wapstra & van Soest, 1987,