Abundance and Distribution of Commensal Amphipods from Common Marine Sponges of Southeast Florida

Abstract

Marine sponges were examined from southeast Florida and the Florida Keysto determine species composition and distribution of commensal amphipodcrustaceans from shallow reef, mangrove, and seagrass habitats. Twentysponge species were investigated during this study, sixteen of whichhoused colomastigid and/or leucothoid amphipods. The Leucothoespinicarpa (Abildgaard) complex of species was the most dominantamphipod commensal, representing 63% of the total amphipods collected.Common sponge hosts included Callyspongia vaginalis, Mycale sp, andMyriastra kallitetilla.