HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations
Defense Date
1-2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S. Marine Biology
Second Degree Name
M.S. Coastal Zone Management
Department
Oceanographic Center
First Advisor
James Darwin Thomas
Second Advisor
Charles Messing
Third Advisor
Jose V. Lopez
Abstract
Recent observations have identified a new species of leucothoid amphipod, Leucothoe “sp. F,” associated with the sponge Cliona varians. This project examined the relationship between this amphipod and its sponge host at three sites in the Florida Keys with differing hydrodynamic regimes. Ninety-eight sponge samples with a total of 2,030 amphipods were collected between December 2011 and September 2012. Leucothoe “sp. F” is currently a common species in the Florida Keys strongly associated with C. varians; its distribution strongly coincides with open tidal currents from the Gulf of Mexico. Seasonality, depth, and tidal regimes not only influence population dynamics and sexual characteristics of Leucothoe “sp. F,” but also the abundance and volume of its host.
NSUWorks Citation
Stephanie Lynn Andringa. 2015. Ecology, Population Dynamics, and Sexual Characteristics of Commensal Leucothoid Amphipods with the Sponge Cliona varians in the Florida Keys (Crustacea: Amphipoda). Master's thesis. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Oceanographic Center. (28)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_stuetd/28.