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Manenti R, Di Nicola MR, Zampieri V, Grassi G, Creanza T, Mauri E, Ficetola GF, Barzaghi B. Wandering outside of the Styx: Surface activity of an iconic subterranean vertebrate, the olm (Proteus anguinus). Ecology 2024; 105:e4252. [PMID: 38329178 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Manenti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Laboratorio di Biologia Sotterranea "Enrico Pezzoli", Parco Regionale del Monte Barro, Galbiate, Italy
| | - Matteo Riccardo Di Nicola
- Unit of Dermatology, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
- Asociación Herpetológica Española, Leganés, Spain
| | - Veronica Zampieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Grassi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Thomas Creanza
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | | | | | - Benedetta Barzaghi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Laboratorio di Biologia Sotterranea "Enrico Pezzoli", Parco Regionale del Monte Barro, Galbiate, Italy
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Both Light Stimuli and Predation Risk Affect the Adult Behavior of a Stygobiont Crustacean. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Stygobiont species show common, typical traits derived from their adaptation to subterranean life. Due to the general absence of light in cave environments, the majority of them are eyeless. Although the absence of eyes generally does not allow them to perceive luminous stimuli, some stygobionts still present phototaxis. Previous studies determined that different species of the eyeless amphipod crustaceans of the genus Niphargus are able to react to light; this has been interpreted as an adaptation to avoid dangerous surface habitats, even if recent studies suggest that this could also be an adaptation to exploit them when a situation is less dangerous (i.e., during the night). Niphargus thuringius is a stygobiont amphipod that can also be observed in spring environments despite possessing all the main morphological features of subterranean organisms, such as depigmentation and a lack of eyes. In the present study, we test how the species respond to light stimuli according to the light cycle and predation risk experienced during a conditioning period. We assessed the reactions to light stimuli of adult individuals of N. thuringius after 30 days of rearing in microcosms with different conditions of light occurrence (total darkness or a light/darkness daily cycle) and predation risk (without predators, with one predator, and with two predators). Both light stimuli during the test and rearing conditions affected the behavior of Niphargus thuringius. With light stimuli, individuals presented a strong photophobic response. Moreover, individuals reared in conditions of high predation risk preferred a more sheltered environment during behavioral tests than individuals reared in safe conditions. Our results add a new species to those of stygobiont amphipods known to display negative phototaxis, confirming that this pattern is widespread and conserved in the field. N. thuringius could be a good candidate model to perform further studies aiming to assess if differences occur between spring populations and populations present in deeper groundwater.
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Manenti R, Galbiati M, Lapadula S, Forlani M, Barzaghi B, Melotto A, Ficetola GF. Behavioural drivers of ecotone exploitation: activity of groundwater animals in spring. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03297-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Border habitats such as interfaces and ecotones are promising research targets being likely areas of high species richness and genetic and phenotypic diversity. Springs are intriguing habitats exploited by both subterranean and surface species. For subterranean species, springs can provide higher trophic resources but can be risky in terms of predation and UV radiation, while for surface species, springs can be safer but less productive environments. We coupled field surveys and laboratory experiments to understand how predation risk and physical constraints, like light occurrence, affect spring exploitation by both a subterranean (Niphargus thuringius) and a surface crustacean amphipod species (Echinogammarus stammeri). From March to May 2021, we surveyed multiple springs and evaluated the activity (both during day and night) of the amphipods and of their predators. Furthermore, in a subterranean laboratory, we reared 80 N. thuringius and 80 E. stammeri under safe and risky conditions with both constant darkness and diel light variation assessing their activity and survival. Risky conditions were represented by the occurrence of meso-predators alone or coupled with the presence of a top predator. In the field, N. thuringius activity was negatively related to the density of predators, while laboratory experiments revealed a main role played by light treatments and night period. E. stammeri activity in the field was higher close to surface while in laboratory conditions decreased during time. In laboratory conditions, predation risk negatively affected survival of both amphipods. Our findings reveal that physical constraints play a key role in affecting the exploitation of ecotones and can mediate antipredator responses, thus providing selective pressures for the exploitation of border environments.
Significance statement
Understanding environmental pressures acting on ecotones is a key point to verify if new adaptations may occur at the border between two distinct habitats. Using both field and laboratory approaches, we show that, in springs, the behaviour of subterranean invertebrates is affected by surface physical constraints which can mediate the effects of predation risk. Behavioural strategies to avoid predation, such as nocturnal activity, may promote spring ecotone exploitation by groundwater animals, such as amphipod crustaceans.
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Blattner L, Lucek K, Beck N, Berner D, Fumetti S. Intra‐Alpine Islands: Population genomic inference reveals high degree of isolation between freshwater spring habitats. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Blattner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Geoecology University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Kay Lucek
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Plant Ecology and Evolution University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Nathanael Beck
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Geoecology University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Daniel Berner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Animal Diversity and Evolution University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Fumetti
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Geoecology University of Basel Basel Switzerland
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