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The azooxanthellate corals Tubastraea coccinea and T. tagusensis invaded the Brazilian coast in the 1980s and is still in expansion, favored by lower predation and competition pressure in their new habitats. Interestingly, the native sponge Desmapsamma anchorata has been observed overgrowing these corals. Considering that competitive displacement is expected to play a major role in the successful outcome of an invasion, the present study tested the physical and chemical mechanisms possibly involved in the competition between D. anchorata and the Tubastraea corals through field and aquaria experiments as well as the Raman spectroscopy technique for chemical analysis. Our results showed that the sponge grew in all directions including over Tubastraea colonies and regardless of its presence. There was no evidence of a specific chemical response among sponges or corals. However, we observed the extrusion of mesenteric filaments and tentacles of corals and the projection of sponge tissue during interspecific interaction, which suggests that physical imposition plays a key role for space competition at micro scales. Given the interspersed nature of benthic species distributions and the fast expansion of Tubastraea, it is unlikely that D. anchorata or any other sponges could serve a biological control against these invasive corals at larger scales, but our results showed that at a microscale they can withstand the corals presence and even outgrow them locally., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Coral reefs are diverse ecosystems that have a high density of biodiversity leading to intense competition among species. These species may produce unknown substances, many with pharmacological value. Chromonephthea braziliensis is an invasive soft coral from the Indo-Pacific Ocean that is possibly transported by oil platforms and whose presence can be a threat to a region's biodiversity. This species produces secondary metabolites that are responsible for inducing damage to the local ecosystem. In the present study, extracts were prepared from dried colonies of C. braziliensis (solvents: hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol). We evaluated their mutagenicity using the Salmonella reverse mutation assay (TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA102 strains), their genotoxicity using the DNA breakage analysis and micronucleus assay, and scavenging activity using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-free radical assay. Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity were not observed for any of the extracts. Genotoxicity was observed for the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts at high concentrations, but no DNA damage was observed in the micronucleus assay. Scavenging activity was not detected.

Recent studies show that chemical defenses in the exotic soft coral Chromonephthea braziliensis Ofwegen (Nephtheidae, Alcyonacea) can be one of the reasons for the success of this introduced species. We report for the first time the detailed composition of the monohydroxylated sterol fraction and a new hemiketal steroid, 23-keto-cladiellin-A, isolated from the unpalatable hexane extract from C. braziliensis. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract revealed that this hemiketal steroid exhibits potent feeding deterrent properties against a natural assemblage of fishes at the natural concentration. The major sterol fraction, containing the monohydroxylated sterols, was inactive in the bioassay. The results suggest that this active molecule may be driving the observed success of the invasion of this soft coral along the Brazilian Atlantic coast.