Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) driven by sea water uptake of anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 has broad deleterious effects on marine species including modified behavioural interactions such as between predators and prey. Predatory sea stars are key species in many marine ecosystems and often elicit defensive responses in their prey. This study investigated the effect of elevated CO2 on the escape response of the sea star Parvulastra exigua to its sea star predator Meridiastra calcar. In response to touch by M. calcar, P. exigua exhibits a distinct fleeing response. The escape response of P. exigua with respect to velocity and escape trajectory was investigated after both species were acclimated in OA conditions. At pHT 7.6 and 7.8 velocity and escape trajectory of the fleeing response of P. exigua did not differ from that seen in the ambient treatment. However, there was a delay in the time that P. exigua started to flee with the initiation time being 2.8 times slower (10 vs 28 s) at pHT 7.6. This delay may increase the vulnerability of P. exigua to predation by M. calcar and have ecological effects with respect to the role of this species as an algal grazer on rocky shores of southeast Australia where these sea star species co-occur.
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