Ontogenetic shifts and interspecies variation in tolerance to desiccation and heat at the early benthic phase of six intertidal invertebrates

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 634:15-28 (2020) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13189 Ontogenetic shifts and interspecies variation in tolerance to desiccation and heat at the early benthic phase of six intertidal invertebrates Hilary J. Hamilton, Louis A. Gosselin* Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC, V2C 0C8, Canada *Corresponding author: lgosselin@tru.ca ABSTRACT: During the early benthic phase of intertidal invertebrates, desiccation and elevated temperature are increasingly recognized as the most significant stressors, but it is not known whether all species are equally sensitive during this phase. In this study, involving 6 co-occurring rocky intertidal species (Nucella ostrina, Littorina scutulata, Mytilus trossulus, Chthamalus dalli, Balanus glandula, Petrolisthes cinctipes), we examined interspecific variation in (1) tolerance to desiccation and temperature at the early benthic phase and (2) the magnitude of ontogenetic shifts in tolerance. Ontogenetic shifts in temperature tolerance were significant but modest, whereas desiccation tolerance thresholds changed considerably throughout ontogeny in all species, and shifts were greatest in species that changed microhabitats during ontogeny. Tolerance at the early benthic phase also varied markedly among species; temperature tolerance thresholds ranged from 32.3 to 45.8°C, and juveniles were able to survive exposure to desiccation for durations ranging from 10 min to 29 h. Ontogenetic shifts in desiccation tolerance were largely explained by differences in body mass; thus individuals achieve increased tolerance through growth. However, variation among species was unrelated to body mass; rather, interspecific variation in tolerance thresholds of the early benthic phase was related to the upper limit of intertidal distribution of the species and to microhabitat use during this phase. The study revealed desiccation to be a greater threat to early benthic phase individuals than temperature in all species, but also discovered considerable interspecific differences in tolerance thresholds, such that species are likely to respond differently to present and future extremes in desiccation and temperature. KEY WORDS: Ontogenetic shifts · Tolerance threshold · Early benthic phase · Juveniles · Environmental stress · Mortality factors · Microhabitat use · Interspecific variation Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Hamilton HJ, Gosselin LA (2020) Ontogenetic shifts and interspecies variation in tolerance to desiccation and heat at the early benthic phase of six intertidal invertebrates. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 634:15-28. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13189 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 634. Online publication date: January 23, 2020 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2020 Inter-Research.