Parasitic diatoms inside antarctic sponges

Abstract

Antarctic sponges may host large populations of planktonic and benthic diatoms. After settling on the sponge, these diatoms enter its body through pinacocytes (1) and form, there, large mono- or pauci-specific assemblages. Yet the total amount of carbohydrates in the invaded sponge tissue is inversely correlated with that of chlorophyll-a. We suggest, therefore, that endobiont diatoms utilize the products of the metabolism of their host as an energy source. This is the first evidence indicating that an endobiotic autotrophic organism may parasitize its animal host. Moreover, this unusual symbiotic behavior could be a successful strategy that allows the diatom to survive in darkness.