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<p>The tube-dwelling serpulid <i>Spirobranchus corniculatus</i> (Grube, 1862) – a species of Christmas tree worm - is an obligate associate of living hermatypic corals that exhibit host-species and host-morphology specificity. This study investigated the distribution and abundance of <i>S. corniculatus</i> at four sites selected across gradients of habitat quality and depth around islands within the Wakatobi Marine National Park, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia. Results revealed that <i>S. corniculatus</i> abundance on host-coral was six times higher at a pristine low sedimented site than at a high sedimented lagoonal site subject to continual marine resource exploitation. Furthermore, the abundance and distribution of <i>S. corniculatus</i> was non-random. Eight coral species: <i>Montipora danae</i>, <i>M. informis</i>, <i>M. spumosa</i>, <i>M. venosa</i>, <i>Porites cylindrica</i>, <i>P. lobata</i>, <i>P. lutea</i> and <i>P. nigrescens</i> - were most heavily colonized by <i>S. corniculatus</i>. These host corals are characterised as being less competitive species and possessing small plocoid corallites. Analyses revealed that the presence of branching poritids, predominantly on the reef flats, influenced substrate availability and thus <i>S. corniculatus</i> abundance. Selection for such high-energy environments may indicate resource partitioning between <i>S. corniculatus</i> morphotypes. Preliminary field observations reveal morphological variability within <i>S. corniculatus</i> is related to host-species identity; this may illustrate potential morphological adaptations of both worm and host to environmental conditions, serving as an indicator of reef health across gradients of human impact. Further ecological, systematic, and molecular studies may provide insights into the unresolved symbiotic association of <i>S. corniculatus</i> with its host corals in the Indo-Pacific.</p>

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Drivers of Spirobranchus corniculatus (Grube, 1862) distribution on coral reefs in SE Sulawesi, Indonesia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月13日

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  • Sonia J. Rowley,
  • Jessica Melbourne-Thomas,
  • Rio Kornel,
  • Martin J. Attrill

摘要

The tube-dwelling serpulid Spirobranchus corniculatus (Grube, 1862) – a species of Christmas tree worm - is an obligate associate of living hermatypic corals that exhibit host-species and host-morphology specificity. This study investigated the distribution and abundance of S. corniculatus at four sites selected across gradients of habitat quality and depth around islands within the Wakatobi Marine National Park, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia. Results revealed that S. corniculatus abundance on host-coral was six times higher at a pristine low sedimented site than at a high sedimented lagoonal site subject to continual marine resource exploitation. Furthermore, the abundance and distribution of S. corniculatus was non-random. Eight coral species: Montipora danae, M. informis, M. spumosa, M. venosa, Porites cylindrica, P. lobata, P. lutea and P. nigrescens - were most heavily colonized by S. corniculatus. These host corals are characterised as being less competitive species and possessing small plocoid corallites. Analyses revealed that the presence of branching poritids, predominantly on the reef flats, influenced substrate availability and thus S. corniculatus abundance. Selection for such high-energy environments may indicate resource partitioning between S. corniculatus morphotypes. Preliminary field observations reveal morphological variability within S. corniculatus is related to host-species identity; this may illustrate potential morphological adaptations of both worm and host to environmental conditions, serving as an indicator of reef health across gradients of human impact. Further ecological, systematic, and molecular studies may provide insights into the unresolved symbiotic association of S. corniculatus with its host corals in the Indo-Pacific.