New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Non-destructive video image analysis method for measuring growth in sponge farming: preliminary results from the New Zealand bath-sponge Spongia (Heterofibria) manipulatus

Sean Handley*

National Institute of Water and
 Atmospheric Research Limited
P.O. Box 893
Nelson, New Zealand
email: s.handley@niwa.co.nz

Shane Kelly*
Michelle Kelly†

National Centre for Aquatic Biodiversity
and Biosecurity
National Institute of Water and
Atmospheric Research Limited
Private Bag 109 695, Newmarket
Auckland, New Zealand
email: m.kelly@niwa.co.nz

*Present address: Auckland Regional Council,
Private Bag 92 012, Auckland, New Zealand.

†Author for correspondence.

Abstract  The skeleton of the New Zealand endemic sponge Spongia (Heterofibria) manipulatus (Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida: Spongiidae) has physical qualities that make it suitable for use as a bath-sponge. The species is particularly abundant around exposed coastlines of D’Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds and on the east coasts of Northland and Coromandel Peninsula. Growth rates and changes in the shape of explants of S. (H.) manipulatus were monitored for a period of 12 months on a pilot marine farm near D’Urville Island, using digital video image analysis. This non-destructive method proved to be an accurate means of monitoring sponges for changes in size when compared with repeated wet-weighing ex situ. Sponge explants increased in size by an average of 28.5% from September 2000 to June 2001, after which growth varied markedly to September 2001, with most of the explants changing little or shrinking in size. Implications of the biological and physical characteristics of S. (H.) manipulatus, for the future commercial production of this species, are discussed.

Keywords  Porifera; Dictyoceratida; Spongiidae; Spongia; bath-sponge; aquaculture; growth-rate; image analysis; New Zealand

M02046 Received 24 June 2002; accepted 18 March 2003; Published 5 August 2003
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2003, Vol. 37: 613-621
0028-8330/03/3703-0613 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003

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