Abstract
Epiphytic communities on marine plants of Seychelles (Indian Ocean Island group associated with East Africa) were investigated in January - March of 1989 during the $15^{th}$ biological voyage of the research vessel cademic Alexander Nesmeyanov. A seagrass species, Thalassodendron ciliatum, and macroalgae (Sargassum spp. and Halimeda spp.) were tested for host substrates and biomass of their dominant epiphytes were assessed. Also, in order to understand the effect of shading and nutrient filtering by epiphytes, two series of photosynthetic rates were compared for Th. ciliatum host leaves having 10% and no epiphytes. Total of 84 species of algae and main taxons of benthic animals were identified from three different host plants. An average biomass of the epiphytes on Th. cihiatum was $184.6g\;kg^{-1}$ and dominant species were green alga Halimeda opuntia, red algae Dictyurus occidentalis and Gelidiella myrioclada. These dominant species and their biomass were remarkably varied with depth increment. On Sargassum spp., an average biomass of the epiphytes was $0.18g\;kg^{-1}$ and the maximum biomass was never exceeded $0.16g\;kg^{-1}$. In the case of Halimeda spp. an average biomass of the epiphytes was $8.0g\;kg^{-1}$, and dominant species were Peyssonnelia dubyi, sponges and decapods. Photosynthetic rates of Th. ciliatum were significantly reduced in the leaves having 10% epiphytes (1.72 times lower, t=6.718, p<0.001).