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Machado AM, Samico R, Domingues M, Hagemann A, Valente LMP, Malzahn AM, Gomes-Dos-Santos A, Ruivo R, Navarro JC, Monroig Ó, Castro LFC. A whole-body transcriptome assembly of the annelid worm Hediste diversicolor. Mar Genomics 2024; 74:101084. [PMID: 38485292 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2024.101084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The Annelida phylum is composed of a myriad of species exhibiting key phenotypic adaptations. They occupy key ecological niches in a variety of marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Importantly, the increment of omic resources is rapidly modifying the taxonomic landscape and knowledge of species belonging to this phylum. Here, we comprehensively characterised and annotated a transcriptome of the common ragworm, Hediste diversicolor (OF Müller). This species belongs to the family Nereididae and inhabits estuarine and lagoon areas on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. Ecologically, H. diversicolor plays an important role in benthic food webs. Given its commercial value, H. diversicolor is a promising candidate for aquaculture development and production in farming facilities, under a circular economy framework. We used Illumina next-generation sequencing technology, to produce a total of 105 million (M) paired-end (PE) raw reads and generate the first whole-body transcriptome assembly of H. diversicolor species. This high-quality transcriptome contains 69,335 transcripts with an N50 transcript length of 2313 bp and achieved a BUSCO gene completeness of 97.7% and 96% in Eukaryota and Metazoa lineage-specific profile libraries. Our findings offer a valuable resource for multiple biological applications using this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- André M Machado
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021/1055, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Samico
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021/1055, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marcos Domingues
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Andreas Hagemann
- Department of Fisheries and New Biomarine Industry, SINTEF Ocean, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Luísa M P Valente
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; CBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Arne M Malzahn
- Department of Fisheries and New Biomarine Industry, SINTEF Ocean, Trondheim, Norway
| | - André Gomes-Dos-Santos
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Raquel Ruivo
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Juan Carlos Navarro
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS), CSIC, 12595, Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain
| | - Óscar Monroig
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS), CSIC, 12595, Ribera de Cabanes, Castellón, Spain.
| | - L Filipe C Castro
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal; Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021/1055, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Jager T, Malzahn AM, Hagemann A, Hansen BH. Testing a simple energy-budget model for yolk-feeding stages of cleaner fish. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Gomes-Dos-Santos A, Hagemann A, Valente L, Malzahn AM, Monroig Ó, Froufe E, Castro LFC. Complete mitochondrial genome of the ragworm annelid Hediste diversicolor (of Müller, 1776) (Annelida: Nereididae). Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2021; 6:2849-2851. [PMID: 34514151 PMCID: PMC8428267 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2021.1970644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Marine annelids are a globally distributed and species-rich group, performing important ecological roles in macrobenthic communities. Yet, the availability of molecular resources to study these organisms is scarcer, comparatively with other phyla. Here, we present the first complete mitogenome of the Atlantic ragworm Hediste diversicolor (OF Muller, 1776). The mitogenome (15,904 bp long) contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA, and two ribosomal RNA genes, all encoded in the same strand. Gene arrangement and composition are identical to those observed in two available congeneric species, Hediste diadroma and Hediste japonica. The phylogenetic analysis using both maximum-likelihood and Bayesian inference methods reveal a well-supported monophyly of genus Hediste and the already reported paraphyletic relationships within the subfamilies Nereidinae and Gymnonereidinae. Our results highlight the relevance of increasing the molecular sampling within this diverse group of marine fauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Gomes-Dos-Santos
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Luísa Valente
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,ICBAS, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Arne M Malzahn
- SINTEF Ocean, Environment and New Resources, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Óscar Monroig
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Castellón, Spain
| | - Elsa Froufe
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - L Filipe C Castro
- CIIMAR/CIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Kabeya N, Gür İ, Oboh A, Evjemo JO, Malzahn AM, Hontoria F, Navarro JC, Monroig Ó. Unique fatty acid desaturase capacities uncovered in Hediste diversicolor illustrate the roles of aquatic invertebrates in trophic upgrading. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190654. [PMID: 32536307 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Omega-3 (ω3 or n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), play physiologically important roles in vertebrates. These compounds have long been believed to have originated almost exclusively from aquatic (mostly marine) single-cell organisms. Yet, a recent study has discovered that many invertebrates possess a type of enzymes called methyl-end desaturases (ωx) that enables them to endogenously produce n-3 long-chain PUFA and could make a significant contribution to production of these compounds in the marine environment. Polychaetes are major components of benthic fauna and thus important to maintain a robust food web as a recycler of organic matter and a prey item for higher trophic level species like fish. In the present study, we investigated the ωx enzymes from the common ragworm, Hediste diversicolor, a common inhabitant in sedimentary littoral ecosystems of the North Atlantic. Functional assays of the H. diversicolor ωx demonstrated unique desaturation capacities. An ω3 desaturase mediated the conversion of n-6 fatty acid substrates into their corresponding n-3 products including DHA. A further enzyme possessed unique regioselectivities combining both ω6 and ω3 desaturase activities. These results illustrate that the long-chain PUFA biosynthetic enzymatic machinery of aquatic invertebrates such as polychaetes is highly diverse and clarify that invertebrates can be major contributors to fatty acid trophic upgrading in aquatic food webs. This article is part of the theme issue 'The next horizons for lipids as 'trophic biomarkers': evidence and significance of consumer modification of dietary fatty acids'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kabeya
- Department of Marine Biosciences, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Konan 4-5-7, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
| | - İbrahim Gür
- Elazığ Fisheries Research Institute, Olgunlar Street, 23040 Elazığ, Turkey
| | - Angela Oboh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Abuja, P.M.B. 117, Nigeria
| | - Jan Ove Evjemo
- Department of Environment & New Resources, SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture AS, Trondheim 7010, Norway
| | - Arne M Malzahn
- Department of Environment & New Resources, SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture AS, Trondheim 7010, Norway
| | - Francisco Hontoria
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes 12595, Castellón, Spain
| | - Juan C Navarro
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes 12595, Castellón, Spain
| | - Óscar Monroig
- Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (IATS-CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes 12595, Castellón, Spain
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Algueró-Muñiz M, Alvarez-Fernandez S, Thor P, Bach LT, Esposito M, Horn HG, Ecker U, Langer JAF, Taucher J, Malzahn AM, Riebesell U, Boersma M. Ocean acidification effects on mesozooplankton community development: Results from a long-term mesocosm experiment. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175851. [PMID: 28410436 PMCID: PMC5391960 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification may affect zooplankton directly by decreasing in pH, as well as indirectly via trophic pathways, where changes in carbon availability or pH effects on primary producers may cascade up the food web thereby altering ecosystem functioning and community composition. Here, we present results from a mesocosm experiment carried out during 113 days in the Gullmar Fjord, Skagerrak coast of Sweden, studying plankton responses to predicted end-of-century pCO2 levels. We did not observe any pCO2 effect on the diversity of the mesozooplankton community, but a positive pCO2 effect on the total mesozooplankton abundance. Furthermore, we observed species-specific sensitivities to pCO2 in the two major groups in this experiment, copepods and hydromedusae. Also stage-specific pCO2 sensitivities were detected in copepods, with copepodites being the most responsive stage. Focusing on the most abundant species, Pseudocalanus acuspes, we observed that copepodites were significantly more abundant in the high-pCO2 treatment during most of the experiment, probably fuelled by phytoplankton community responses to high-pCO2 conditions. Physiological and reproductive output was analysed on P. acuspes females through two additional laboratory experiments, showing no pCO2 effect on females' condition nor on egg hatching. Overall, our results suggest that the Gullmar Fjord mesozooplankton community structure is not expected to change much under realistic end-of-century OA scenarios as used here. However, the positive pCO2 effect detected on mesozooplankton abundance could potentially affect biomass transfer to higher trophic levels in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Algueró-Muñiz
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Santiago Alvarez-Fernandez
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Peter Thor
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Framcentre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Lennart T. Bach
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Mario Esposito
- National Oceanography Centre (NOC) University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Henriette G. Horn
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Ursula Ecker
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Julia A. F. Langer
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
| | - Jan Taucher
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Arne M. Malzahn
- Sintef Ocean AS, Marine Resource Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ulf Riebesell
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Maarten Boersma
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
- FB2, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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Meunier CL, Boersma M, Wiltshire KH, Malzahn AM. Zooplankton eat what they need: copepod selective feeding and potential consequences for marine systems. OIKOS 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.02072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cédric L. Meunier
- Alfred-Wegener-Inst., Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland; Postfach 180 DE-27483 Helgoland Germany
- Dept of Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Umeå Univ.; Uminova Science Park Tvistevägen 48 SE-901 87 Umeå Sweden
| | - Maarten Boersma
- Alfred-Wegener-Inst., Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland; Postfach 180 DE-27483 Helgoland Germany
- Univ. of Bremen; Bremen Germany
| | - Karen H. Wiltshire
- Alfred-Wegener-Inst., Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland; Postfach 180 DE-27483 Helgoland Germany
| | - Arne M. Malzahn
- Alfred-Wegener-Inst., Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland; Postfach 180 DE-27483 Helgoland Germany
- Dept of Marine Science and Fisheries; College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos Univ.; PO Box 34, PC:123 Al-Khod Sultanate of Oman
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Meunier CL, Malzahn AM, Boersma M. A new approach to homeostatic regulation: towards a unified view of physiological and ecological concepts. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107737. [PMID: 25247989 PMCID: PMC4172659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stoichiometric homeostasis is the ability of an organism to keep its body chemical composition constant, despite varying inputs. Stoichiometric homeostasis therefore constrains the metabolic needs of consumers which in turn often feed on resources not matching these requirements. In a broader context, homeostasis also relates to the capacity of an organism to maintain other biological parameters (e.g. body temperature) at a constant level over ambient environmental variations. Unfortunately, there are discrepancies in the literature and ecological and physiological definitions of homeostasis are disparate and partly contradictory. Here, we address this matter by reviewing the existing knowledge considering two distinct groups, regulators and conformers and, based on examples of thermo- and osmoregulation, we propose a new approach to stoichiometric homeostasis, unifying ecological and physiological concepts. We suggest a simple and precise graphical way to identify regulators and conformers: for any given biological parameter (e.g. nutrient stoichiometry, temperature), a sigmoidal relation between internal and external conditions can be observed for conformers while an inverse sigmoidal response is characteristic of regulators. This new definition and method, based on well-studied physiological mechanisms, unifies ecological and physiological approaches and is a useful tool for understanding how organisms are affected by and affect their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric L. Meunier
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Arne M. Malzahn
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
- Department of Marine Science and Fisheries, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khod, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Maarten Boersma
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany
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Schoo KL, Aberle N, Malzahn AM, Schmalenbach I, Boersma M. The reaction of European lobster larvae (Homarus gammarus) to different quality food: effects of ontogenetic shifts and pre-feeding history. Oecologia 2013; 174:581-94. [PMID: 24072442 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2786-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Young larval stages of many organisms represent bottlenecks in the life-history of many species. The high mortality commonly observed in, for example, decapod larvae has often been linked to poor nutrition, with most studies focussing on food quantity. Here, we focus instead on the effects of quality and have investigated its effects on the nutritional condition of lobster larvae. We established a tri-trophic food chain consisting of the cryptophyte Rhodomonas salina, the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa and larvae of the European lobster Homarus gammarus. In a set of experiments, we manipulated the C:N:P stoichiometry of the primary producers, and accordingly those of the primary consumer. In a first experiment, R. salina was grown under N- and P-limitation and the nutrient content of the algae was manipulated by addition of the limiting nutrient to create a food quality gradient. In a second experiment, the effect on lobster larvae of long- and short-term exposure to food of varying quality during ontogenetic development was investigated. The condition of the lobster larvae was negatively affected even by subtle N- and P-nutrient limitations of the algae. Furthermore, younger lobster larvae were more vulnerable to nutrient limitation than older ones, suggesting an ontogenetic shift in the capacity of lobster larvae to cope with low quality food. The results presented here might have substantial consequences for the survival of lobster larvae in the field, as, in the light of future climate change and re-oligotrophication of the North Sea, lobster larvae might face marked changes in temperature and nutrient conditions, thus significantly altering their condition and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherina L Schoo
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Postbox 180, 27483, Helgoland, Germany,
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Schoo KL, Aberle N, Malzahn AM, Boersma M. Food quality affects secondary consumers even at low quantities: an experimental test with larval European lobster. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33550. [PMID: 22442696 PMCID: PMC3307736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2011] [Accepted: 02/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The issues of food quality and food quantity are crucial for trophic interactions. Although most research has focussed on the primary producer – herbivore link, recent studies have shown that quality effects at the bottom of the food web propagate to higher trophic levels. Negative effects of poor food quality have almost exclusively been demonstrated at higher food quantities. Whether these negative effects have the same impact at low food availability in situations where the majority if not all of the resources are channelled into routine metabolism, is under debate. In this study a tri-trophic food chain was designed, consisting of the algae Rhodomonas salina, the copepod Acartia tonsa and freshly hatched larvae of the European lobster Homarus gammarus. The lobster larvae were presented with food of two different qualities (C∶P ratios) and four different quantities to investigate the combined effects of food quality and quantity. Our results show that the quality of food has an impact on the condition of lobster larvae even at very low food quantities. Food with a lower C∶P content resulted in higher condition of the lobster larvae regardless of the quantity of food. These interacting effects of food quality and food quantity can have far reaching consequences for ecosystem productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherina L Schoo
- Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Biology, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany.
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Dittami SM, Wichard T, Malzahn AM, Pohnert G, Boersma M, Wiltshire KH. Culture conditions affect fatty acid content along with wound-activated production of polyunsaturated aldehydes in Thalassiosira rotula (Coscinodiscophyceae). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1127/1438-9134/2010/0136-0231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Malzahn AM, Hantzsche F, Schoo KL, Boersma M, Aberle N. Differential effects of nutrient-limited primary production on primary, secondary or tertiary consumers. Oecologia 2009; 162:35-48. [PMID: 19784675 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-009-1458-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2008] [Accepted: 08/28/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional imbalances between predator and prey are the rule rather than the exception at the lower end of food webs. We investigated the role of different grazers in the propagation of nutritionally imbalanced primary production by using the same primary producers in a three-trophic-level food chain and a four-trophic-level food chain experimental setup. The three-trophic-level food chain consisted of a classic single-cell primary producer (Rhodomonas salina), a metazoan grazer (the copepod Acartia tonsa) and a top predator (the jellyfish Gonionemus vertens), while we added a protozoan grazer (Oxyrrhis marina) as primary consumer to the food chain to establish the four-trophic-level food chain. This setup allowed us to investigate how nutrient-limitation effects change from one trophic level to another, and to investigate the performance of two components of our experimental food chains in different trophic positions. Stoichiometry and fatty acid profiles of the algae showed significant differences between the nutrient-depleted [no N and no P addition (-P), respectively] and the nutrient-replete (f/2) treatments. The differences in stoichiometry could be traced when O. marina was the first consumer. Copepods feeding on these flagellates were not affected by the nutritional imbalance of their prey in their stoichiometry, their respiration rates nor in their developmental rates. In contrast, when copepods were the primary consumer, those reared on the -P algae showed significantly higher respiration rates along with significantly lower developmental rates. In neither of our two experimental food chains did the signals from the base of the food chains travel up to jelly fish, our top predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne M Malzahn
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Helgoland, Germany.
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