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Kasumyan A, Isaeva O, Dgebuadze P, Mekhova E, Oanh LTK, Britayev T. Comatulids (Crinoidea, Comatulida) chemically defend against coral fish by themselves, without assistance from their symbionts. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6150. [PMID: 32273544 PMCID: PMC7145852 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63140-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiotic associations between small animals and relatively large sessile invertebrates that use taste deterrents for protection are widespread in the marine environment. To determine whether the symbionts are involved in the chemical protection of their hosts, the palatability of ten species of comatulids and six species of their symbionts was evaluated. Taste attractiveness was determined by offering agar pellets flavoured with extracts of comatulids and their symbionts for four coral reef fish species. Five species of symbiont were highly palatable, and one was indifferent to the taste. Almost all comatulids were distasteful, while their aversiveness was different for different fish. These findings indicate that comatulids chemically defend themselves without assistance from symbionts, and the taste deterrents are not universal and can only be effective against particular predators. The presence of tasteful symbionts reduces the security of their hosts by provoking attacks of predators and may impact on the individual and population fitness of comatulids. However, the chemical protection of comatulids is useful for symbionts and undoubtedly increases their survival. Obtained results allows the relationship between comatulids and their symbionts considered commensalism. Most likely, similar relationships can be established in many other associations, where symbionts inhabit chemically defended coral reef invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kasumyan
- Department of Ichthyology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory 1, page 12, 119234, Moscow, Russia. .,Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninskiy pr. 33, 117071, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Olga Isaeva
- Department of Water Bioresources and Aquaculture, Kamchatka State Technical University, Vilyuiskaya st. 56, 683001, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia
| | - Polina Dgebuadze
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninskiy pr. 33, 117071, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Elena Mekhova
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninskiy pr. 33, 117071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Le Thi Kieu Oanh
- Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technological Center, Coastal Branch, Nguyen Thien Thuat 30, Nha Trang, Vietnam
| | - Temir Britayev
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Leninskiy pr. 33, 117071, Moscow, Russia
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Tinkova TV, Kasumyan AO, Dgebuadze PY, Oanh LTK, Britaev TA. Deterrence of feather stars (Crinoidea, Comatulida) from Southern Vietnam for the Indo-Pacific sergeant-fish Abudefduf vaigiensis. DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2014; 456:195-8. [PMID: 24985514 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496614030107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T V Tinkova
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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