Relationship of Sponge Macrofauna with the Morphology of their Hosts in the North Aegean Sea  <B>Relationship of Sponge Macrofauna with the Morphology of their Hosts in the North Aegean Sea</B><P>A. KOUKOURAS (1), A. RUSSO(2), E. VOULTSIADOU-KOUKOURA(1), C. DOUNAS(3) and C. CHINTIROGLOU(1)</B><I><P> (1 )Dept. of Zoology, University of Thessaloniki, Box 134, Thessaloniki 540 06, Greece <BR> (2) Science Division, Leeward College, University of Hawaii, Pearl City, Hawaii 96782. U.S.A.<BR> (3)1nstitute of Marine Biology of Crete, Box 2214, 710 03, Iraklion, Greece</I><B><P> Abstract</B><P> The associated macrofauna of four Aegean Sea sponge species <I>(Agelas oroides, Petrosia ficiformis, Ircinia variabilis </I>and<I> Aplysina aerophoba) </I>was compared. The total number of individuals and species was found to be related to sponge volume for all sponge species.<P> The associated macrofaunal weight per individual on all sponge species was negatively correlated with sponge volume. Sponge complexity, as measured by sponge surface area to biomass ratio, was not a consistent predictor of associated macrofauna abundance or diversity. Sponge macrofauna species were not host specific and their relative abundances differed among sponge species.<I><B><P> Key words: </B></I>sponge macrofauna, habitat complexity<P> Int. Revue ges. Hydrobiol. 77, 1992, 4, 609-619<P>