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First published online June 13, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 2185-2190 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.015420
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Oxygen consumption by a coral reef sponge

Eran Hadas1,2, Micha Ilan1 and Muki Shpigel3,*

1 Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
2 Inter-University Institute of Marine Sciences in Eilat, PO Box 469, Eilat, 88103, Israel
3 Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, National Center for Mariculture, Eilat, 88112, Israel

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: shpigelm{at}agri.huji.ac.il)

Accepted 10 April 2008

Oxygen consumption of the Red Sea coral reef sponge Negombata magnifica was measured using both incubation and steady-state methods. The latter method was found to be the more reliable because sponge activity remained stable over time. Oxygen consumption rate was measured during three levels of sponge activity: full activity, reduced activity and basal activity (starved). It was found that the active oxygen consumption rate of N. magnifica averaged 37.3±4.6 nmol O2 min–1 g–1 wet mass, which is within the upper range reported for other tropical marine sponges. Fully active N. magnifica individuals consumed an average of 41.8±3.2 nmol O2 min–1 g–1 wet mass. The mean basal respiration rate was 20.2±1.2 nmol O2 min–1 g–1 wet mass, which is 51.6±2.5% of the active respiration rate. Therefore, the oxygen used for water pumping was calculated to be at most 10.6±1.8 nmol O2 min–1 g–1 wet mass, which is 25.1±3.6% of the total respiration. Combined oxygen used for maintenance and water pumping activity was calculated to be 30.8 nmol O2 min–1 g–1 wet mass, which is approximately 74% of the sponge's total oxygen requirement. The remaining oxygen is directed to other physiological activities, mainly the energy requirement of growth. These findings suggest that only a relatively minor amount of energy is potentially available for growth, and thus might be a factor in controlling the growth rate of N. magnifica in oligotrophic coral reefs.

Key words: sponges, oxygen consumption, energy budget, Red Sea, Negombata magnifica






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