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Shi Y, Li S, Li Y, Jiang L, Khan FU, Waiho K, Wang Y, Hu M. Saving the overlooked mangrove horseshoe crabs-A perspective from enhancing mangrove ecosystem conservation. Mar Environ Res 2024; 193:106282. [PMID: 38042633 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106282] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite being widely distributed in Asia, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda is often overlooked and, its population status remains unclear. Moreover, it is threatened by illegal harvesting and degradation of mangrove ecosystems. Protecting its habitat is essential for population and biodiversity conservation, as mangroves provide nursery grounds and food supply for C. rotundicauda. This review discusses the biological characteristics of C. rotundicauda, including ecology, nutrition, life history, toxicology, and immunology. It also presents information about its distribution and population status. The review emphasizes the challenges faced by C. rotundicauda and proposes a conservation framework that involves the participation of local residents to facilitate conservation efforts. Collaboration between local residents and communities is proposed to protect and monitor the mangrove ecosystem. Additionally, this framework can support field research, protect C. rotundicauda juveniles and other species, and ensure the livelihood of local residents through participation in carbon trading markets and eco-industries such as eco-farming and eco-tourism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntian Shi
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.
| | - Shuhui Li
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Yaowu Li
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Lingfeng Jiang
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Fahim Ullah Khan
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Khor Waiho
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, University Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, 21030, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Youji Wang
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.
| | - Menghong Hu
- International Research Center for Marine Biosciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; Marine Biomedical Science and Technology Innovation Platform of Lin-gang Special Area, Shanghai, China.
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Sarmiento ME, Chin KL, Lau NS, Ismail N, Norazmi MN, Acosta A, Yaacob NS. Transcriptomic Signature of Horseshoe Crab Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda Hemocytes' Response to Lipopolysaccharides. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:5866-5878. [PMID: 36547060 PMCID: PMC9777084 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44120399] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda (C. rotundicauda) is one of the four species of horseshoe crabs (HSCs). The HSC hemocytes store defense molecules that are released upon encountering invading pathogens. The HSCs rely on this innate immunity to continue its existence as a living fossil for more than 480 million years. To gain insight into the innate mechanisms involved, transcriptomic analysis was performed on isolated C. rotundicauda hemocytes challenged with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), the main components of the outer cell membrane of gram-negative bacteria. RNA-sequencing with Illumina HiSeq platform resulted in 232,628,086 and 245,448,176 raw reads corresponding to 190,326,253 and 201,180,020 high-quality mappable reads from control and LPS-stimulated hemocytes, respectively. Following LPS-stimulation, 79 genes were significantly upregulated and 265 genes were downregulated. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were related to multiple immune functional categories and pathways such as those of the cytoskeleton, Toll and Imd, apoptosis, MAP kinase (MAPK), inositol phosphate metabolism, phagosome, leucocyte endothelial migration, and gram-negative bacterial infection, among others. This study provides important information about the mechanisms of response to LPS, which is relevant for the understanding the HSCs' immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Sarmiento
- School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
| | - Kai Ling Chin
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia
| | - Nyok-Sean Lau
- Centre for Chemical Biology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bayan Lepas 11900, Malaysia
| | - Noraznawati Ismail
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus 21030, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Nor Norazmi
- School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
| | - Armando Acosta
- School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (N.S.Y.)
| | - Nik Soriani Yaacob
- Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (A.A.); (N.S.Y.)
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Kwan KY, Fu Y, Zhong M, Kuang Y, Bai H, Zhang C, Zhen W, Xu P, Wang CC, Zhu J. Spatiotemporal Distribution of Asian Horseshoe Crab Eggs Are Highly Intermingled with Anthropogenic Structures in Northern Beibu Gulf, China. J Ocean Univ China 2022; 21:531-540. [PMID: 35582547 PMCID: PMC9098372 DOI: 10.1007/s11802-022-5164-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Identification, protection and restoration of spawning habitats are vital for protecting the depleted species. Asian horseshoe crabs are ecologically important macroinvertebrates in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. However, their spawning habitat studies were limited to several reports in tropical regions, possibly due to the lack of modified survey methods, particularly in habitats with a lower density of spawning adults, and/or intermingled with anthropogenic structures. In this study, the year-round egg distribution and spawning habitat baselines of Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus tridentatus were determined in the northern Beibu Gulf, China. Our findings demonstrated that the peak spawning occurred in June-July and ceased in November-January when the average water temperature dropped below 20 °C. Egg aggregations were found < 10 cm beneath the sediment surface with regular tidal inundation, regardless of seasonal changes, in the vicinity of natural and artificial structures with elevated, mildly sloping substratum within the high tide zones. The nests were characterized by medium-sized sediment grains (0.5-0.9 mm), high temperatures (31-34°C), low water contents (0.8%-0.9%), and total organic carbon contents (0.5%-0.7%), which might maximize the hatching success. The identified nesting beaches were close to nursery habitats for juveniles, and tidal creeks were present as the possible corridor connecting these two important habitats through the dominant mangrove forests. The findings provide valuable insights in the scope of spawning behavior and nest-site selection of Asian horseshoe crabs under a mixture of natural and artificial structures, which could benefit future management efforts for the exploited spawning populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kit Yue Kwan
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Yijian Fu
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Mufeng Zhong
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Yang Kuang
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Haiwei Bai
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Ce Zhang
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Wenquan Zhen
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Peng Xu
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Qinzhou, 535011 China
| | - Chun-Chieh Wang
- Guangxi Beibu Gulf Marine Research Center, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning, 530007 China
| | - Junhua Zhu
- College of Marine Sciences, Beibu Gulf Ocean Development Research Center, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou, 535011 China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Qinzhou, 535011 China
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Lee CNW, Morton B. Changes in the distributions of juvenile horseshoe crabs (Arthropoda: Chelicerata) (2002-2014) related to environmental perturbations at Pak Nai and Ha Pak Nai, Deep Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China. Mar Pollut Bull 2016; 108:134-146. [PMID: 27158048 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A survey of juvenile Asian horseshoe crabs in 2002 on the mudflats along Hong Kong's north-western shoreline abutting Deep Bay identified two species, Tachypleus tridentatus and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, and assessed their population characteristics. Since the 2002 survey, there have been significant habitat changes to this natal site for the two species. By employing the same, but expanded, sampling protocol, a further survey was, therefore, conducted twelve years later in 2014. A general population decline was recorded for T. tridentatus whereas for C. rotundicauda there was an increase and its distribution had become more widespread. The distribution patterns of the two species were also shown to have changed. The potential factors that might be responsible for recorded changes in the species' population characteristics between 2002 and 2014 are related to anthropogenic perturbations, including environmental habitat alterations notably the building of a bridge linking Hong Kong to Shenzhen in China.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Morton
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Baek SY, Choi EH, Jang KH, Ryu SH, Park SM, Suk HY, Chang CY, Hwang UW. Complete mitochondrial genomes of Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus tridentatus (Xiphosura, Arthropoda) and implications for chelicerate phylogenetic studies. Int J Biol Sci 2014; 10:479-89. [PMID: 24795529 PMCID: PMC4007361 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.8739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Horseshoe crabs (order Xiphosura) are often referred to as an ancient order of marine chelicerates and have been considered as keystone taxa for the understanding of chelicerate evolution. However, the mitochondrial genome of this order is only available from a single species, Limulus polyphemus. In the present study, we analyzed the complete mitochondrial genomes from two Asian horseshoe crabs, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda and Tachypleus tridentatus to offer novel data for the evolutionary relationship within Xiphosura and their position in the chelicerate phylogeny. The mitochondrial genomes of C. rotundicauda (15,033 bp) and T. tridentatus (15,006 bp) encode 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Overall sequences and genome structure of two Asian species were highly similar to that of Limulus polyphemus, though clear differences among three were found in the stem-loop structure of the putative control region. In the phylogenetic analysis with complete mitochondrial genomes of 43 chelicerate species, C. rotundicauda and T. tridentatus were recovered as a monophyly, while L. polyphemus solely formed an independent clade. Xiphosuran species were placed at the basal root of the tree, and major other chelicerate taxa were clustered in a single monophyly, clearly confirming that horseshoe crabs composed an ancestral taxon among chelicerates. By contrast, the phylogenetic tree without the information of Asian horseshoe crabs did not support monophyletic clustering of other chelicerates. In conclusion, our analyses may provide more robust and reliable perspective on the study of evolutionary history for chelicerates than earlier analyses with a single Atlantic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Youn Baek
- 1. School of Life Sciences, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
| | - Eun Hwa Choi
- 2. Department of Biology, Teachers College & Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
| | - Kuem Hee Jang
- 2. Department of Biology, Teachers College & Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
| | - Shi Hyun Ryu
- 2. Department of Biology, Teachers College & Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
| | - Sang Myeon Park
- 3. Department of Science Education, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
| | - Ho Young Suk
- 4. Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do 705-717, South Korea
| | - Cheon Young Chang
- 5. Department of Biology, College of Natural Science, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do 712-714, South Korea
| | - Ui Wook Hwang
- 2. Department of Biology, Teachers College & Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, South Korea
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