Walters L J, Wethey D S
Biol Bull. 1991 Feb;180(1):112-118. doi: 10.2307/1542434.
We examine the relationship between adult body form (sheet vs. arborescent) and larval settlement in colonial animals. Because thin sheet forms are more susceptible to overgrowth than arborescent forms, we predict that larvae of sheet forms should preferentially settle in refuges from competitors. On both natural and artificial substrata, the larvae of the sheet form (Membranipora membranacea) settled more often on high spots, which could serve as refuges from competition. The arborescent forms (Bugula neritina and Distaplia occidentalis) settled around the bases of bumps more frequently than would be expected by chance. For many arborescent forms, their most vulnerable periods are the days immediately following settlement, when individuals can be consumed easily by predators or dislodged by physical disturbances. Settlement in a crevice (base of a bump) would provide protection from the bulky mouthparts of predators. Moreover, dislodgment would be less likely than if settlement had occurred on flat locations, such as the tops of bumps or the areas between bumps.
我们研究了群体动物中成年个体体型（片状与树状）与幼体附着之间的关系。由于薄片状体型比树状体型更容易被覆盖生长，我们预测片状体型的幼体应优先在可躲避竞争者的区域附着。在天然和人工基质上，片状体型（膜孔苔虫）的幼体更常附着在高处，这些高处可作为躲避竞争的区域。树状体型（美丽琥珀苔虫和西方多枝苔藓虫）在凸起基部周围附着的频率高于随机预期。对于许多树状体型来说，它们最脆弱的时期是附着后的几天，此时个体很容易被捕食者吃掉或被物理干扰冲走。在裂缝（凸起基部）中附着可以保护它们免受捕食者粗大口器的伤害。此外，与附着在平坦位置（如凸起顶部或凸起之间的区域）相比，在裂缝中附着被冲走的可能性更小。
