SOME DIATOMS ATTACHED TO SCLERACTINIAN CORALS FROM NORTHEAST BRAZIL

Abstract

The phenomenon of symbiosis between microalgae (including diatoms) and marine invertebrates has been recognized for over a century. The objective of this study was to effectuate a floristic assessment of the diatoms associated to the corals Favia gravida and Porites astreoides collected on Tamandaré Beach (Pernambuco State, Northeast Brazil).Colonies of these scleractinians were collected in the months of March and April 1998 from depths between 0 and 2m using a chisel and hammer. The collected corals were stored in plastic bags full of seawater and transpoted to the "Laboratório de AMbientes Recifais" of the UFRPE. The corals tissue was extracted with a high-pressure jet of water (Water PIk). The extracted tissue was homogenized by maceration and the diatoms found in this homogenate were studied using a standard microscope and permanent slides. The floristic assessement of both F. gravida and P. astreoides was representative of their associated diatoms. A total of 20 taxa of diatoms were identified, of which 17 were associated with F. gravida and 10 with P. astreoides.

Keywords: Floristic assessment, diatoms, Scleractinia, symbiosis, northeastern Brazil.

Descritores: Levantamento florístico, diatomáceas, Scleractinia, simbiose, nordeste do Brasil.