Submitted by Mario BC (mario@bc.ufrpe.br) on 2016-08-09T13:09:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Amanda Lacerda Alves.pdf: 932884 bytes, checksum: f27ca0558b921d57172b3fae91cc1191 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-09T13:09:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Amanda Lacerda Alves.pdf: 932884 bytes, checksum: f27ca0558b921d57172b3fae91cc1191 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-26 / This study investigated the feeding ecology of zoanthids Zoanthus sociatus and Protopalythoa variabilis. Colonies of this species were sampled in the infralittoral zone of reefs in northeastern Brazil (may/2013 to february/2014). Polyps (n = 400) were examined the gastric cavity and prey found were counted, measured and identified. We calculated the richness and total abundance of prey items. The GLM test two-way ANOVA was used to compare the abundance and ricness between period and species. The biovolume of preys were calculated to characterize the most important food items in terms of their biomasses. To evaluate the selectivity, zoanthid and plankton samples were collected in the dry season and rainy. The results revealed the occurrence of seven taxa of phytoplankton and zooplankton three, and particulate organic matter. Pennales diatoms were the most abundant and most frequent prey and, together with invertebrate eggs, constituted the most important food items in terms of their biomasses. There were significant differences in abundance and richness among the species and between periods, with a significant interaction between these factors, only for abundance. The mean size of prey items within the polyps of Z. sociatus (26.35 ± 59.10 μm) and polyps of P. variabilis (26.56 ± 54.71 μm) was significantly smaller than in the plankton (54,14 ± 107,25 μm). As for the type prey, Zoanthus sociatus and Protopalythoa variabilis feed predominantly diatoms. The results, the two species are suspensívoras, feeding mainly on small phytoplankton. These results corroborate those previously found for the zoanthid P. caribaeorum in the same place, showing that this group has an important role in energy flow in reefs, transferring biomass of plankton to superiroes groups of the chain. This is fundamental to the Brazilian reefs where coverage of other suspensívoros as coral, is very low. / Este trabalho objetivou estudar a ecologia alimentar dos zoantídeos Zoanthus sociatus e Protopalythoa variabilis. Foram amostradas trimestralmente (maio/2013 a fevereiro/2014) colônias das espécies no infralitoral nos recifes da Praia de Porto de Galinhas (8º 33’ 00’’ a 8°33’33” S ; 35º 00’27’’ a 34º 59’ 00’’ W). Os pólipos (n=400) tiveram a cavidade gástrica examinada e as presas encontradas foram contabilizadas, medidas e identificadas. Foram calculadas a riqueza e abundância total dos itens de presas. O teste GLM two-way ANOVA foi usado para comparar a abundância e riqueza entre período e espécies. A partir das medições das presas, foi calculado o biovolume para caracterizar as presas com maior importância no aporte de biomassa. Para análise de seletividade foram coletadas amostras das espécies de zoantídeos e do plâncton no período seco e chuvoso. Os resultados revelaram a ocorrência de sete taxons do fitoplâncton e três do zooplâncton, além de matéria orgânica particulada. As diatomáceas pennales foram as presas mais abundantes e, juntamente, com ovos de invertebrados constituíram as presas mais importantes no aporte de biomassa. Houve diferença significativa na abundância e riqueza entre as espécies e entre os períodos, havendo interação significativa entre estes fatores, apenas para a abundância. O tamanho médio das presas presentes nos pólipos de Z. sociatus (26,35 ± 59,10 μm) e nos pólipos de P. variabilis (26,56 ± 54,71 μm) foi menor do que no plâncton (54,14 ± 107,25 μm). Quanto ao tipo de presa, Zoanthus sociatus e Protopalythoa variabilis se alimentam predominantemente de diatomáceas. Pelos resultados obtidos, as duas espécies são suspensívoras, alimentando-se principalmente de fitoplancton de pequeno porte. Esses resultados corroboram os anteriormente encontrados para o zoantídeo P. caribaeorum no mesmo local, demonstrando que este grupo tem um papel importantíssimo no fluxo de energia nos recifes, transferindo biomassa do plâncton para elos superiroes da cadeia. Isto é fundamental para os recifes brasileiros onde a cobertura de outros suspensívoros, como corais, é muito baixa.

Symbiosis has been an important factor in evolution, and continues to drive speciation and allows organisms to fill new ecological niches. Symbiotic relationships in which both partners benefit from the association, or mutualisms, are ubiquitous in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Many of the symbionts in these associations are photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria that fix carbon through photosynthesis and translocate a portion of this energy to their hosts. Host organisms utilize this fixed carbon for a variety of physiological processes, including growth and development, thus, photosynthetically-fixed carbon is vital for many hosts. The following chapters will describe carbon fixation and translocation in two algal symbioses: the freshwater association between the alga Oophila and the eggs of Ambystoma maculatum salmanders, and the relationship between the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium and marine zoanthids. These chapters will discuss carbon flux in symbiosis, and reveal some of the ways in which environmental factors alter photosynthesis in algal mutualisms. / Biology