Barletta, M., Saint-Paul, U., Barletta-Bergan, A., Ekau, W., and
Schories, D., 2000. Spatial and temporal distribution of Myrophis
punctatus (Ophichthidae) and associated fish fauna in a North Brazilian intertidal mangrove forest. Hydrobiologia, 426, 65–74.
Barletta, M., Barletta-Bergan, A., Saint-Paul, U., and Hubold, G.,
2003. Seasonal changes in density, biomass and diversity of
estuarine fishes in tidal mangrove creeks of the lower Caeté Estuary (Northern Brazilian Coast, east Amazon). Marine Ecology
Progress Series, 256, 217–228.
Barletta, M., Barletta-Bergan, A., Saint-Paul, U., and Hubold, G.,
2005. The role of salinity in structuring the fish assemblages in
a tropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology, 66, 1–28.
Barletta, M., Amaral, C. S., Correa, M. F. M., Guebert, F., Dantas, D. V.,
Lorenzi, L., and Saint-Paul, U., 2008. Factors affecting seasonal
variations in demersal fish assemblages at an ecocline in a tropical
\subtropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology, 73, 1315–1336.
Barletta, M., Jaureguizar, A. J., Baigun, C., Fontoura, N. F.,
Agostinho, A. A., Almeida-Val, V., Val, A., Torres, R. A.,
Jimenes, L. F., Giarrizzo, T., Fabré, N. N., Batista, V., Lasso,
C., Taphorn, D. C., Costa, M. F., Chaves, P. T., Vieira, J. P.,
and Corrêa, M. F. M., 2010. Fish and aquatic habitat conservation in South America: a continental overview with emphasis
on neotropical systems. Journal of Fish Biology, 76, 2118–2176.
Blaber, S. J. M., 2000. Tropical Estuarine Fishes: Ecology, Exploitation and Conservation. Oxford: Blackwell.
Dantas, D. V., Barletta, M., Costa, M. F., Barbosa-Cintra, S. C. T.,
Possatto, F. E., Ramos, J. A. A., Lima, A. R. A., and Saint-Paul,
U., 2010. Movement patterns of catfishes (Ariidae) in a tropical
semi-arid estuary. Journal of Fish Biology, 76, 2540–2510.
Dantas, D. V., Barletta, M., Lima, A. R. A., Ramos, J. A. A., Costa,
M. F., and Saint-Paul, U., 2012. Nursery habitats shifts in an
estuarine ecosystem: patterns of use by sympatric catfish species.
Estuaries and Coasts, 35, 587–602.
Dyer, K. R., 1973. Estuaries: A Physical Introduction. London:
Wiley.
Dyer, K. R., 1974. The salt balance in stratified estuaries. Estuarine
and Coastal Marine Science, 2, 273–281.
Fairbridge, R., 1980. The estuary: its definition and geodynamic
cycle. In Olausson, E., and Cato, I. (eds.), Chemistry and Geochemistry of Estuaries. New York: Wiley, pp. 1–35.
Mathieson, S., Cattrijsse, A., Costa, M. J., Drake, P., Elliott, M., Gardner, J., and Marchand, J., 2000. Fish assemblages of European
tidal marshes: a comparison based on species, families and functional guilds. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 204, 225–242.
McLusky, D. S., 1989. The Estuarine Ecosystem. London: Blackie
and Son.
McLusky, D. S., and Elliott, M., 2004. The Estuarine Ecosystem: Ecology, Threats, and Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Miranda, L. B., Castro, B. M., and Kjerfve, B., 2002. Princı ´pios de
Oceanografia Fı ´sica de Estua ´rios. São Paulo: Editora da
Universidade de São Paulo.
Thiel, R., Cabral, H., and Costa, M. J., 2003. Composition, temporal
changes and ecological guild classification of the ichthyofaunas
of large European estuaries – a comparison between the Tagus
(Portugal) and the Elbe (Germany). Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 19, 330–342.
Cross-references
Anthropogenic Impacts
Dredging
Fish Assemblages
Tidal and Nontidal Oscillations
Tidal Hydrodynamics
Tides
EPIBIONT
Monia El Bour
Marine Microbiology Unit, Department of Marine
Biotechnology and Biodiversity, National Institute of Sea
Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), Tunis, Tunisia
Synonyms
Epifauna; Epiflora
Definition
An epibiont is an organism living on the surface of another
living organism. The relationship between the two organisms may be neutralistic or commensalistic. The host of
the epibiont is referred as the basibiont.
Epibiosis process
Epibiosis is a direct consequence of surface limitation
and results in spatially close associations between two
or more living organisms belonging to the same or different species. These associations can be specifically guided
by host chemistry resulting in species-specific symbiotic
or pathogenic assemblages. Most colonizers, however,
are nonspecific substratum generalists, and epibionts
are able to survive in the natural environment longer than
free-living forms and, by means of adhesive strategies,
they can adapt to adverse conditions; e.g., organic matter
limitation, and symbiosis of microorganisms with
macroorganisms is a widespread phenomenon that
should have a profound impact on the physiology, ecology, and evolution of both hosts and symbiotic partners
(Laudien and Wahl, 2004).
In epibiosis, the ecological consequences for the
overgrown host (basibiont) and the colonizer (epibiont)
can be positive and negative. The distribution of the
epibiont species is related to specific basibiont species
and the pattern of colonization of the epibiont community (Fernandez-Leborans and Gabilondo, 2006).
Epibiont populations should have relevant functions
and roles at the ecosystem level; thus, epibionts with high
densities are involved in energy transfer to higher trophic
levels. In addition, the colonization of a marine hardbottom community on newly available substrata is
governed by presettlement (survival and distribution of
colonizing stages), settlement (composition of colonizer
pool, competence of settling stages, substratum preferences), and post-settlement processes (competition, consumption, etc.). When the substratum becomes the
limiting factor during recruitment, dominant competitors
should lead competitively inferior species to extinction
(Laudien and Wahl, 2004).
242
EPIBIONT
Schories, D., 2000. Spatial and temporal distribution of Myrophis
punctatus (Ophichthidae) and associated fish fauna in a North Brazilian intertidal mangrove forest. Hydrobiologia, 426, 65–74.
Barletta, M., Barletta-Bergan, A., Saint-Paul, U., and Hubold, G.,
2003. Seasonal changes in density, biomass and diversity of
estuarine fishes in tidal mangrove creeks of the lower Caeté Estuary (Northern Brazilian Coast, east Amazon). Marine Ecology
Progress Series, 256, 217–228.
Barletta, M., Barletta-Bergan, A., Saint-Paul, U., and Hubold, G.,
2005. The role of salinity in structuring the fish assemblages in
a tropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology, 66, 1–28.
Barletta, M., Amaral, C. S., Correa, M. F. M., Guebert, F., Dantas, D. V.,
Lorenzi, L., and Saint-Paul, U., 2008. Factors affecting seasonal
variations in demersal fish assemblages at an ecocline in a tropical
\subtropical estuary. Journal of Fish Biology, 73, 1315–1336.
Barletta, M., Jaureguizar, A. J., Baigun, C., Fontoura, N. F.,
Agostinho, A. A., Almeida-Val, V., Val, A., Torres, R. A.,
Jimenes, L. F., Giarrizzo, T., Fabré, N. N., Batista, V., Lasso,
C., Taphorn, D. C., Costa, M. F., Chaves, P. T., Vieira, J. P.,
and Corrêa, M. F. M., 2010. Fish and aquatic habitat conservation in South America: a continental overview with emphasis
on neotropical systems. Journal of Fish Biology, 76, 2118–2176.
Blaber, S. J. M., 2000. Tropical Estuarine Fishes: Ecology, Exploitation and Conservation. Oxford: Blackwell.
Dantas, D. V., Barletta, M., Costa, M. F., Barbosa-Cintra, S. C. T.,
Possatto, F. E., Ramos, J. A. A., Lima, A. R. A., and Saint-Paul,
U., 2010. Movement patterns of catfishes (Ariidae) in a tropical
semi-arid estuary. Journal of Fish Biology, 76, 2540–2510.
Dantas, D. V., Barletta, M., Lima, A. R. A., Ramos, J. A. A., Costa,
M. F., and Saint-Paul, U., 2012. Nursery habitats shifts in an
estuarine ecosystem: patterns of use by sympatric catfish species.
Estuaries and Coasts, 35, 587–602.
Dyer, K. R., 1973. Estuaries: A Physical Introduction. London:
Wiley.
Dyer, K. R., 1974. The salt balance in stratified estuaries. Estuarine
and Coastal Marine Science, 2, 273–281.
Fairbridge, R., 1980. The estuary: its definition and geodynamic
cycle. In Olausson, E., and Cato, I. (eds.), Chemistry and Geochemistry of Estuaries. New York: Wiley, pp. 1–35.
Mathieson, S., Cattrijsse, A., Costa, M. J., Drake, P., Elliott, M., Gardner, J., and Marchand, J., 2000. Fish assemblages of European
tidal marshes: a comparison based on species, families and functional guilds. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 204, 225–242.
McLusky, D. S., 1989. The Estuarine Ecosystem. London: Blackie
and Son.
McLusky, D. S., and Elliott, M., 2004. The Estuarine Ecosystem: Ecology, Threats, and Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Miranda, L. B., Castro, B. M., and Kjerfve, B., 2002. Princı ´pios de
Oceanografia Fı ´sica de Estua ´rios. São Paulo: Editora da
Universidade de São Paulo.
Thiel, R., Cabral, H., and Costa, M. J., 2003. Composition, temporal
changes and ecological guild classification of the ichthyofaunas
of large European estuaries – a comparison between the Tagus
(Portugal) and the Elbe (Germany). Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 19, 330–342.
Cross-references
Anthropogenic Impacts
Dredging
Fish Assemblages
Tidal and Nontidal Oscillations
Tidal Hydrodynamics
Tides
EPIBIONT
Monia El Bour
Marine Microbiology Unit, Department of Marine
Biotechnology and Biodiversity, National Institute of Sea
Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), Tunis, Tunisia
Synonyms
Epifauna; Epiflora
Definition
An epibiont is an organism living on the surface of another
living organism. The relationship between the two organisms may be neutralistic or commensalistic. The host of
the epibiont is referred as the basibiont.
Epibiosis process
Epibiosis is a direct consequence of surface limitation
and results in spatially close associations between two
or more living organisms belonging to the same or different species. These associations can be specifically guided
by host chemistry resulting in species-specific symbiotic
or pathogenic assemblages. Most colonizers, however,
are nonspecific substratum generalists, and epibionts
are able to survive in the natural environment longer than
free-living forms and, by means of adhesive strategies,
they can adapt to adverse conditions; e.g., organic matter
limitation, and symbiosis of microorganisms with
macroorganisms is a widespread phenomenon that
should have a profound impact on the physiology, ecology, and evolution of both hosts and symbiotic partners
(Laudien and Wahl, 2004).
In epibiosis, the ecological consequences for the
overgrown host (basibiont) and the colonizer (epibiont)
can be positive and negative. The distribution of the
epibiont species is related to specific basibiont species
and the pattern of colonization of the epibiont community (Fernandez-Leborans and Gabilondo, 2006).
Epibiont populations should have relevant functions
and roles at the ecosystem level; thus, epibionts with high
densities are involved in energy transfer to higher trophic
levels. In addition, the colonization of a marine hardbottom community on newly available substrata is
governed by presettlement (survival and distribution of
colonizing stages), settlement (composition of colonizer
pool, competence of settling stages, substratum preferences), and post-settlement processes (competition, consumption, etc.). When the substratum becomes the
limiting factor during recruitment, dominant competitors
should lead competitively inferior species to extinction
(Laudien and Wahl, 2004).
242
EPIBIONT