Species richness, spatial distribution and colonisation pattern of algal and invertebrate epiphytes on the seagrass Amphibolis griffithii

Abstract

The distribution of epiphytic algae and sessile invertebrates on the seagrass Amphibolis griffithii is not random. The number of epiphyte species increases with increasing seagrass height and there are approximately twice as many epiphytic algal species as invertebrate species. Epiphytes growing on the stems have a clear apico-basal distribution, with algae such as Haliptilon roseum, Laurencia filiformis and Hypnea spp. most abundant on the upper 30% of the seagrass stem, while the bryozoan Celleporina sp. and the hydrozoan Thyroscyphus marginatus are most abundant near the base of the stem.