The presence of Clathria sp. on living coral colonies in Kish Island, Persian Gulf

Coral reefs are one of the most important marine ecosystems and their health and resilience have been threatened by several biotic and abiotic factors. The presence of organisms that are capable of overgrowth on living corals is known as one of the destructive biotic factor. Clathria sp. is an encrusting sponge that can overgrow on living coral colonies and it has been suggested that Clathria sp. can lead to death of corals by producing toxin substances. However, there is a lack of information about the occurrence of this sponge in the Persian Gulf. The purpose of this study is to investigate its presence in the coral communities of Kish Island. Regarding the aim, four sites were selected in the eastern and southeastern parts of the Kish Island and at each site, 20 meters long transect was laid down and coral colonies were examined directly along the transect. Based on the result, Clathria sp. was observed on 18% (9 ±) of the colonies of Porites sp. in the coral carpet of Kish Island.