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Comatulids (Crinoidea, Comatulida) chemically defend against coral fish by themselves, without assistance from their symbionts.
Kasumyan A
,
Isaeva O
,
Dgebuadze P
,
Mekhova E
,
Oanh LTK
,
Britayev T
.
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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.
Figure 1. The taste attractiveness of comatulid symbionts for fish. Tested species numbers: (a) Synalpheus stimpsoni; (b) Synalpheus demani; (c) Synalpheus sp.; 2 – Allogalathea elegans; 3 – Paradyte crinoidicola; 4 – Gymnolophus obscura; 4a and 4b – Gymnolophus obscura collected on Comaster nobilis and Himerometra robustipinna, respectively; 5 – Notopharyngoides aruensis; and 6 – Litopenaeus vannamei. Shaded bars – the significant difference (P < 0.05) in consumption of flavoured pellets in relation to the control Photo courtesy of O.V. Savinkin and Yu.V. Deart.
Figure 2. The taste attractiveness of comatulids for fish. Tested species numbers: 1 – Comaster nobilis; 2 – Clarckomanthus alternans; 3 – Stephanometra indica; 4 – Anneissia pinguis; 5 – Comanthus gisleni; 6 – Himerometra robustipinna; 7 – Cenometra bella; 8 – Comanthus parvicirrus; 9 – Colobometra perspinosa; and 10 – Lamprometra palmata. Shaded bars – the significant difference (P < 0.05) in consumption of flavoured pellets in relation to the control Photo courtesy of O.V. Savinkin and Yu.V. Deart.
Figure 3. Spearman rank correlations between taste attractiveness of agar pellets flavoured with extracts of comatulids for Abudefduf vaigiensis, Neoglyphidodon melas and Abudefduf sexfasciatus.
Figure 6. Fish employed in experiments. (a) Indo-Pacific sergeant, Abudefduf vaigiensis, (b) scissortail sergeant, Abudefduf sexfasciatus, (c) Valentin’s sharpnose puffer, Canthigaster valentini, (d) black damsel Neoglyphidodon melas (a,b) Photo courtesy of Yu.V. Deart. (c,d) Photo courtesy of O.V. Savinkin.
Figure 7. Experimental setup: test tank (15 l) equipped with an aerator and temperature indicator; a single fish first trained to grasp red-coloured, standard-sized pellets is in waiting pose.
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