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Shine R, Meiri S, Shine TG, Brown GP, Goiran C. The adaptive significance of large size at birth in marine snakes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231429. [PMID: 38094277 PMCID: PMC10716650 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionary shifts from one habitat type to another can clarify selective forces that affect life-history attributes. Four lineages of snakes (acrochordids and three clades within the Elapidae) have invaded marine habitats, and all have larger offspring than do terrestrial snakes. Predation by fishes on small neonates offers a plausible selective mechanism for that shift, because ascending to breathe at the ocean surface exposes a marine snake to midwater predation whereas juvenile snakes in terrestrial habitats can remain hidden. Consistent with this hypothesis, snake-shaped models moving through a coral-reef habitat in New Caledonia attracted high rates of attack by predatory fishes, and small models (the size of neonatal terrestrial snakes) were attacked more frequently than were large models (the size of neonatal sea snakes). Vulnerability to predatory fishes may have imposed strong selection for increased offspring size in marine snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Shine
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Terri G. Shine
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Gregory P. Brown
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Claire Goiran
- LabEx Corail & ISEA, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, BP R4, 98851 Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
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Zhao HY, Sun Y, Du Y, Li JQ, Lv JG, Qu YF, Lin LH, Lin CX, Ji X, Gao JF. Venom of the Annulated Sea Snake Hydrophis cyanocinctus: A Biochemically Simple but Genetically Complex Weapon. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:548. [PMID: 34437419 PMCID: PMC8402435 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13080548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Given that the venom system in sea snakes has a role in enhancing their secondary adaption to the marine environment, it follows that elucidating the diversity and function of venom toxins will help to understand the adaptive radiation of sea snakes. We performed proteomic and de novo NGS analyses to explore the diversity of venom toxins in the annulated sea snake (Hydrophis cyanocinctus) and estimated the adaptive molecular evolution of the toxin-coding unigenes and the toxicity of the major components. We found three-finger toxins (3-FTxs), phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and cysteine-rich secretory protein (CRISP) in the venom proteome and 59 toxin-coding unigenes belonging to 24 protein families in the venom-gland transcriptome; 3-FTx and PLA2 were the most abundant families. Nearly half of the toxin-coding unigenes had undergone positive selection. The short- (i.p. 0.09 μg/g) and long-chain neurotoxin (i.p. 0.14 μg/g) presented fairly high toxicity, whereas both basic and acidic PLA2s expressed low toxicity. The toxicity of H. cyanocinctus venom was largely determined by the 3-FTxs. Our data show the venom is used by H. cyanocinctus as a biochemically simple but genetically complex weapon and venom evolution in H. cyanocinctus is presumably driven by natural selection to deal with fast-moving prey and enemies in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yan Zhao
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (H.-Y.Z.); (Y.S.); (L.-H.L.)
| | - Yan Sun
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (H.-Y.Z.); (Y.S.); (L.-H.L.)
| | - Yu Du
- Hainan Key Laboratory of Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China; (Y.D.); (J.-G.L.)
- MOE Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (J.-Q.L.); (Y.-F.Q.)
| | - Jia-Qi Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (J.-Q.L.); (Y.-F.Q.)
| | - Jin-Geng Lv
- Hainan Key Laboratory of Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China; (Y.D.); (J.-G.L.)
- MOE Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China
| | - Yan-Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (J.-Q.L.); (Y.-F.Q.)
| | - Long-Hui Lin
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (H.-Y.Z.); (Y.S.); (L.-H.L.)
| | - Chi-Xian Lin
- Hainan Key Laboratory of Herpetological Research, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China; (Y.D.); (J.-G.L.)
- MOE Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- MOE Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation for Tropical Marine Bioresources, Hainan Tropical Ocean University, Sanya 572022, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; (J.-Q.L.); (Y.-F.Q.)
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jian-Fang Gao
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China; (H.-Y.Z.); (Y.S.); (L.-H.L.)
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Goiran C, Brown GP, Shine R. The behaviour of sea snakes (Emydocephalus annulatus) shifts with the tides. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11346. [PMID: 32647251 PMCID: PMC7347856 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68342-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tidal cycles are known to affect the ecology of many marine animals, but logistical obstacles have discouraged behavioural studies on sea snakes in the wild. Here, we analyse a large dataset (1,445 observations of 126 individuals) to explore tidally-driven shifts in the behaviour of free-ranging turtle-headed sea snakes (Emydocephalus annulatus, Hydrophiinae) in the Baie des Citrons, New Caledonia. Snakes tended to move into newly-inundated areas with the rising tide, and became more active (e.g. switched from inactivity to mate-searching and courting) as water levels rose. However, the relative use of alternative habitat types was largely unaffected by tidal phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Goiran
- LabEx Corail and ISEA, Université de La Nouvelle-Calédonie, BP R4, 98851, Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Gregory P Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
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Goiran C, Brown GP, Shine R. Niche partitioning within a population of sea snakes is constrained by ambient thermal homogeneity and small prey size. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In many populations of terrestrial snakes, the phenotype of an individual (e.g. body size, sex, colour) affects its habitat use. One cause for that link is gape limitation, which can result in larger snakes eating prey that are found in different habitats. A second factor involves thermoregulatory opportunities, whereby individuals select habitats based upon thermal conditions. These ideas predict minimal intraspecific variation in habitat use in a species that eats small prey and lives in a thermally uniform habitat, such as the sea snake Emydocephalus annulatus, which feeds on tiny fish eggs and lives in inshore coral reefs. To test that prediction, we gathered data on water depths and substrate attributes for 1475 sightings of 128 free-ranging E. annulatus in a bay near Noumea, New Caledonia. Habitat selection varied among individuals, but with a preference for coral-dominated substrates. The body size and reproductive state of a snake affected its detectability in deep water, but overall habitat use was not linked to snake body size, colour morph, sex or pregnancy. A lack of ontogenetic shifts in habitat use allows extreme philopatry in E. annulatus, thereby reducing gene flow among populations and, potentially, delaying recolonization after local extirpation events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Goiran
- LabEx Corail & ISEA, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia
| | - Gregory P Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard Shine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Udyawer V, Simpfendorfer CA, Heupel MR, Clark TD. Temporal and spatial activity‐associated energy partitioning in free‐swimming sea snakes. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vinay Udyawer
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville QLD4810 Australia
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture & College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville QLD4811 Australia
| | - Colin A. Simpfendorfer
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture & College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville QLD4811 Australia
| | - Michelle R. Heupel
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville QLD4810 Australia
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture & College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville QLD4811 Australia
| | - Timothy D. Clark
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville QLD4810 Australia
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