Littorina Brevicula Research Articles

Chromosome-level genome assemblies of two littorinid marine snails indicate genetic basis of intertidal adaptation and ancient karyotype evolved from bilaterian ancestors.

Living in the intertidal environment, littorinid snails are excellent models for understanding genetic mechanisms underlying adaptation to harsh fluctuating environments. Furthermore, the karyotypes of littorinid snails, with the same chromosome number as the presumed bilaterian ancestor, make them valuable for investigating karyotype evolution from the bilaterian ancestor to mollusks. Here, we generated high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies for 2 littorinid marine snails, Littorina brevicula (927.94 Mb) and Littoraria sinensis (882.51 Mb), with contig N50 of 3.43 Mb and 2.31 Mb, respectively. Comparative genomic analyses identified 92 expanded gene families and 85 positively selected genes as potential candidates possibly associated with intertidal adaptation in the littorinid lineage, which were functionally enriched in stimulus responses, innate immunity, and apoptosis process regulation and might be involved in cellular homeostasis maintenance in stressful intertidal environments. Genome macrosynteny analyses indicated that 4 fissions and 4 fusions led to the evolution from the 17 presumed bilaterian ancestral chromosomes to the 17 littorinid chromosomes, implying that the littorinid snails have a highly conserved karyotype with the bilaterian ancestor. Based on the most parsimonious reconstruction of the common ancestral karyotype of scallops and littorinid snails, 3 chromosomal fissions and 1 chromosomal fusion from the bilaterian ancient linkage groups were shared by the bivalve scallop and gastropoda littorinid snails, indicating that the chromosome-scale ancient gene linkages were generally preserved in the mollusk genomes for over 500 million years. The highly conserved karyotype makes the littorinid snail genomes valuable resources for understanding early bilaterian evolution and biology.

Exploring the adaptability of the secondary structure of mRNA to temperature in intertidal snails based on SHAPE experiment.

RNA-based thermal regulation mechanism is an important strategy for organisms to cope with temperature changes. Inhabiting on intertidal rocky shore, a key interface of the ocean, atmosphere and terrestrial environments, intertidal species have developed variable thermal adaptation mechanisms, however, adaptions at the RNA level remain largely uninvestigated. For investigating the relationship between mRNA structural stability and species distribution, in the present study, the secondary structures of cytosolic malate dehydrogenase (cMDH) mRNAs of Echinolittorina malaccana, E. radiata and Littorina brevicula were determined using the selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE), and the change in folding free energy of formation (ΔGfold) were calculated. The results showed that ΔGfold increased as the temperature increased. The difference in ΔGfold (ΔΔGfold) between two specific temperatures (0° to 25°C, 0° to 37°C, and 0° to 25°C) among the three species were different, and the ΔΔGfold value of E. malaccana was significantly lower than those of E. radiata and L. brevicula. The number of stems of cMDH mRNA of the snails decreased with temperature increased, and the breakpoint temperature of E. malaccana was the highest among them. The number of loops was also reduced with temperature increased, while the length of the loop structure increased accordingly. Consequently, these structural changes can potentially affect the translational efficiency of mRNA. These results implied that there were interspecific differences in the thermal stability of RNA secondary structures in intertidal snails, and these differences may be related to their distribution.

Resolving the origins of invertebrate colonists in the Yangtze River Estuary with molecular markers: Implications for ecological connectivity.

Understanding connectivity over different spatial and temporal scales is fundamental for managing of ecological systems. However, controversy exists for wintertime ecological connectivity between the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) and inner southwestern Yellow Sea. Here, we investigated ecological connectivity between the YRE and inner southwestern Yellow Sea in wintertime by precisely pinpointing the source of the newly colonized populations of a winter‐spawning rocky intertidal invertebrate, Littorina brevicula (Philippi, 1844), on artificial structures along the coast of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) using mitochondrial ND6 sequences and microsatellite data. Clear phylogeographic and genetic differentiation were detected between natural rocky populations south and north of the YRE, which resulted from the lack of hard substrate for rocky invertebrates in the large YRD coast. For the newly colonized populations on the coast of YRD, most individuals (98%) to the south of ~33.5°N were from natural rocky populations to the south of the YRE and most of those (94%) to the north of ~33.5°N were from the northern natural rocky populations, which demonstrated strong ecological connectivity between the inner southwestern Yellow Sea and the YRE in winter time. We presented the first genetic evidence that demonstrated a northward wintertime coastal current in the inner southwestern Yellow Sea, and precisely illustrated the boundary of the coastal current recently proposed by numerical experiment. These results indicated that the YRE serves as an important source of materials and energy for the inner southwestern Yellow Sea in winter, which can be crucial for the function of the Yellow Sea ecosystem.

The complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic analysis of Littorina brevicula (Gastropoda, Littorinidea)

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Littorina brevicula was determined in this study. The complete mitogenome (mtDNA) is 16,356 base pairs (bp) in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes. The control region was divided into two parts. The overall base composition of the genome in descending order was 35.33%—T, 28.41%—A, 20.43%—C, and 15.81%—G. In 13 protein-coding genes, 12 genes start with ATG, except nad5 starts with ATT. For the stop codon, seven genes end with TAA, atp6, nad41, and nad3 end with TAG. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that L. brevicula is close to Naticidea family. This study first determined the complete mitochondrial genome of L. brevicula. It would be a supplement for the genetic analysis of L. brevicula and promote the phylogenetic of Littorinidea.

Population divergence in cold tolerance of the intertidal gastropod Littorina brevicula explained by habitat-specific lowest air temperature

Temperature is a fundamental element determining the distribution patterns of ectotherms, and it is generally recognized that physiological tolerances of ectotherms change according to thermal gradients in their habitats. However, little is known about the variation in cold tolerance of marine invertebrates among local populations of the same species. In this study, three experiments were conducted to demonstrate inter-population variation in the cold tolerance of the intertidal gastropod Littorina brevicula, and to explore factors driving the variation. First, seasonal changes in the freezing temperature (the supercooling point, SCP) and the median lower lethal temperature (LLT50) of snails collected from a single population were examined to identify the cold tolerance strategies of this species. Seasonal fluctuation was clear in only the LLT50 which was lower than the SCP in winter, indicating that cold tolerance strategy of this species was freeze tolerant. Second, the cold tolerance of snails from four populations was compared. These populations were distributed at latitudinally different locations, and the comparisons were performed before winter when their cold tolerance was not required and in winter when their cold tolerance increased. In this experiment, while the cold tolerance of snails collected in winter was higher than that of snails collected before winter in all four populations, there were differences in tolerance among the populations. Furthermore, to estimate their ability of acclimation to cold environments, snails that were collected from the northernmost and southernmost populations in the four populations before winter were acclimated to a constant low temperature in the laboratory for a long period (120–130days). This long period of acclimation led to an increase in the cold tolerance of both populations, but the latitudinal difference was maintained. Additionally, after imposing the long period of acclimation to snails that were collected at 12 locations before winter, factors that might cause local variation in their cold tolerance were explored. This experiment clearly showed that local variation in cold tolerance was explained by the lowest local air temperature. Our study demonstrated inter-population variation in the cold tolerance of an intertidal mollusc, and that the variation is explained by thermal gradients in winter.

Comparison of Population Genetic Structure of Two Seashore-Dwelling Animal Species, Periwinkle Littorina brevicula and Acorn Barnacle Fistulobalanus albicostatus from Korea

The genetic structure of marine animals that inhabit the seashore is affected by numerous factors. Of these, gene flow and natural selection during recruitment have strong influences on the genetic structure of seashore-dwelling species that have larval periods. Relative contributions of these two factors to the genetic structure of marine species would be determined mainly by the duration of larval stage. The relationship between larval period and genetic structure of population has been rarely studied in Korea. In this study, genetic variations of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) were analyzed in two dominant species on rocky shore habitats in the Korean peninsula: periwinkle Littorina brevicula and acorn barnacle Fistulobalanus albicostatus. Both species are not strongly structured and may have experienced recent population expansion. Unlike periwinkle, however, barnacle populations have considerable genetic variation, and show a bimodal pattern of mismatch distribution. These results suggest that barnacle populations are more affected by local adaptation rather than gene flow via larval migration. The bimodal patterns of barnacle populations observed in mismatch distribution plots imply that they may have experienced secondary contact. Further studies on seashore-dwelling species are expected to be useful in understanding the evolution of the coastal ecosystem around Korean waters.

Increased potential for wound activated production of Prostaglandin E2 and related toxic compounds in non-native populations of Gracilaria vermiculophylla

The capacity of the East Asian seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla (“Ogonori”) for production of prostaglandin E2 from arachidonic acid occasionally causes food poisoning after ingestion. During the last two decades the alga has been introduced to Europe and North America. Non-native populations have been shown to be generally less palatable to marine herbivores than native populations. We hypothesized that the difference in palatability among populations could be due to differences in the algal content of prostaglandins. We therefore compared the capacity for wound-activated production of prostaglandins and other eicosatetraenoid oxylipins among five native populations in East Asia and seven non-native populations in Europe and NW Mexico, using a targeted metabolomics approach. In two independent experiments non-native populations exhibited a significant tendency to produce more eicosatetraenoids than native populations after acclimation to identical conditions and subsequent artificial wounding. Fourteen out of 15 eicosatetraenoids that were detected in experiment I and all 19 eicosatetraenoids that were detected in experiment II reached higher mean concentrations in non-native than in native specimens. Wounding of non-native specimens resulted on average in 390% more 15-keto-PGE2, in 90% more PGE2, in 37% more PGA2 and in 96% more 7,8-di-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid than wounding of native specimens. Not only PGE2, but also PGA2 and dihydroxylated eicosatetraenoic acid are known to deter various biological enemies of G. vermiculophylla that cause tissue or cell wounding, and in the present study the latter two compounds also repelled the mesograzer Littorina brevicula. Non-native populations of G. vermiculophylla are thus more defended against herbivory than native populations. This increased capacity for activated chemical defense may have contributed to their invasion success and at the same time it poses an elevated risk for human food safety.

Phylogeography ofLittorina breviculasuggests postglacial colonization from south to north along the Japanese Archipelago

Phylogeography of<i>Littorina brevicula</i>suggests postglacial colonization from south to north along the Japanese Archipelago

Species composition and diversity of macrobenthos in the intertidal zone of Xiangshan bay, China

Xiangshan bay is a narrow semi-closed bay and situated on the northwestern coast of the East China Sea. Over past decades, it has become to a major bay with intensive human activities, dense urbanized area, and poor water quality. The aim of this paper was to reveal the ecological status through the elucidation of the species composition, abundance, biomass and diversity of macrobenthos in this bay. Six intertidal sections were surveyed from January 2007 to November 2008 quarterly. Sections TG, HD and XH are located in the three inner bays, sections QJ and WS are located near the thermal power plants, and section XX is located at the outer part of Xiangshan Bay. Great variations in macrobenthos community were indentified, and the species composition of the community in the present study showed the dominance in the order of molluscs (bivalves and gastropods), crustaceans and others, and only few Polychaeta were recorded. Only three dominant species, Littorina brevicula, Ilyplax tansuiensis, and Cerithidea cingulata were collected in all the sections, and a total of 19 dominant species were recorded only in one section. Two-way ANOVA analyses of abundance indicated that there were significant differences among sections or seasons. Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) had its maximum (2.45) in section QJ, and minimum (1.76) in section TG. Multiple irregular k-dominance plots clearly showed that the study area was polluted and the macrobenthos community was under stress. We conclude that the macrobenthos of Xiangshan Bay have been disturbed by human activities, especially at the interior bay.

An Assessment of Sample Preservation Methods for the Determination of Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Ratios in Mollusks

The aim of this study was to quantify the effects of preservation methods and preservation times on the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values in the tissues of six mollusk species (Mytilus edulis, Crassostrea gigas, Ruditapes philippinarum, Acanthochiton seulschnochilon, Littorina brevicula, and Rapana venosa). To identify potential preservation effects on δ13C and δ15N values and to examine temporal changes in the effects of preservation, repeated analyses were carried out after 1 day, 5 days, 15 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months of preservation. The results showed that drying preservation was the most suitable method for preserving samples, while freezing and chemical preservation significantly affected the stable isotope values compared with those of the controls. The effects of preservatives on the tissues of different mollusk species were statistically significant for both δ13C and δ15N values. Shifts in the δ13C and δ15N values, due to freezing and chemical preservation, were higher in Acanthochiton seulschnochilon, Littorina brevicula, and Rapana venosa than in the other three species. The effects of preservatives on carbon isotope values were variable. In most cases, the shift of the δ13C values from the control samples were less than 1% for those of the treated samples. The δ13C and δ15N data from the preserved samples could thus be used in food web reconstruction studies. Further studies will be necessary, however, in order to elucidate the effects of preservation type and time on other species.

Invasion success of the seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla correlates with low palatibility

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 486:93-103 (2013) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10361 Invasion success of the seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla correlates with low palatibility Mareike Hammann1,*, Gaoge Wang2, Esther Rickert1, Sung Min Boo3, Florian Weinberger1 1Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (GEOMAR), Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany 2College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, 266003 Qingdao, China 3Department of Biology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764, Korea *Email: mhammann@geomar.de ABSTRACT: Differences with respect to anti-herbivore defense were investigated in invasive and native populations of the seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla. S pecimens from 6 native populations in East Asia and from 8 populations invasive in Europe and the Mexican Pacific coast were maintained under identical conditions and offered to herbivorous snails from both the native range (Littorina brevicula) and Europe (L. littorea) in no-choice feeding assays. L. brevicula consumed in total significantly larger amounts of G. vermiculophylla tissue than did L. littorea. Further, both snail species least consumed the seaweed specimens originating from either non-native populations or from populations native to the Korean East Sea/Sea of Japan. The Korean East Sea/Sea of Japan had previously been identified as putative donor region of all the invasive populations of G. vermiculophylla. Thus, populations in the donor region as well as non-native populations in different invaded realms feature an increased capacity to resist feeding pressure. Differences in nutrient content did not account for the observed patterns of consumption, as palatability and carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio were not significantly correlated. Thus, mechanical or chemical defenses or the content of feeding cues influenced the behavior of the snails. We suggest that low palatability contributed to the invasion success of the species. KEY WORDS: Biological invasion · Invasive seaweeds · Enemy release hypothesis · Novel weapons hypothesis · Herbivory · Gracilaria vermiculophylla Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Hammann M, Wang G, Rickert E, Boo SM, Weinberger F (2013) Invasion success of the seaweed Gracilaria vermiculophylla correlates with low palatibility. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 486:93-103. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10361 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 486. Online publication date: July 12, 2013 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2013 Inter-Research.

한국 연안에서 채취한 조개류의 구리와 아연 농도 분석

The coastal environment is affected by Cu and Zn contamination through diverse routes, including antifouling agents, industrial wastewater, and domestic activities. In this study, Crassostrea gigas and Littorina brevicula were used to examine the distributions of Cu and Zn, which are related to the increase in the use of new antifouling agents that have been used for ships since the TBT ban in 2003. The average Cu and Zn concentrations in the samples were 231.8 μg/g and 492.6 μg/g, respectively. Both the Cu and Zn concentrations were highest in the shipyard samples, followed by the harbor sample for Cu and the industrial area sample for Zn. The results indicated that the Cu concentration was affected by the antifouling agents, and the Zn concentration was affected by both the antifouling agents and industrial wastewater. The areas that need intensive control to address the Cu and Zn contamination in major Korean coasts were identified.

Heat-stability and primary structure of the major alginate lyase isozyme LbAly35 from Littorina brevicula

Previously we isolated the major alginate lyase isozyme LbAly35 from a marine snail Littorina brevicula and showed that this enzyme was significantly heat stable in a broad pH range compared with other molluscan alginate lyases (Hata et al., Fish Sci 75:755–763, 2009). LbAly35 showed practically no similarity to other molluscan alginate lyases in the N-terminal amino-acid sequence of 20 residues and no cross-reactivity with anti-abalone alginate lyase antiserum. These led us to consider that the primary structure of LbAly35 is considerably deviated from other molluscan enzymes. Thus, in the present study, we first compared the thermal stability of LbAly35 with an abalone alginate lyase, HdAly, and found that the first order inactivation rate constants for LbAly35 at 40 and 45 °C were 1/20 and 1/45 of those for HdAly, respectively. Then, we cloned cDNAs encoding LbAly35 and characterized its deduced amino-acid sequence comparing with those of other molluscan alginate lyases. The cDNAs were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 5′- and 3′-RACE PCRs from the L. brevicula hepatopancreas cDNA using degenerated primers synthesized on the basis of partial amino-acid sequences of LbAly35. The cDNA covering the entire translational region of LbAly35 comprised 1,093 bp and encoded an amino-acid sequence of 296 residues. The amino-acid sequence consisted of an initiation methionine, a putative signal peptide for secretion (22 residues), a propeptide-like region (10 residues), and a mature LbAly35 domain of 263 residues. Although the N-terminal region of LbAly35 was significantly deviated from those of other molluscan alginate lyases, the catalytic domain of LbAly35 showed ~45 % identity to other molluscan enzymes which had been classified under polysaccharide-lyase-family-14 (PL-14). In addition, the amino-acid residues crucially important for the catalytic actions of PL-14 enzymes were also conserved in LbAly35. Accordingly, LbAly35 was regarded as a member of PL-14 as other molluscan alginate lyases despite the significant deviation of its N-terminal region.

CDNA cloning and bacterial expression of a PL-14 alginate lyase from a herbivorous marine snail Littorina brevicula

Herbivorous marine snails like Littorina species are known to possess alginate lyases in their digestive tracts. The Littorina enzymes have been identified as endolytic polymannuronate (poly(M)) lyases (EC 4.2.2.3); however, it is still unclear which polysaccharide-lyase family (PL) the Littorina enzymes belong to, since no complete primary structure of Littorina enzymes has been determined. Thus, in the present study, we analyzed the primary structure of LbAly28, a 28kDa alginate lyase isozyme of Littorina brevicula, by the cDNA method. LbAly28 cDNAs were amplified by PCR followed by 5′- and 3′-RACE PCRs from the L. brevicula hepatopancreas cDNA. A cDNA covering entire coding region of LbAly28 consisted of 1129bp and encoded an amino-acid sequence of 291 residues. The deduced amino-acid sequence comprised an initiation methionine, a putative signal peptide of 14 residues, a propeptide-like region of 16 residues, and a mature LbAly28 domain of 260 residues. The mature LbAly28 domain showed 43–53% amino-acid identities with other molluscan PL-14 enzymes. The catalytically important residues in PL-14 enzymes, which were identified in the Chlorella virus glucuronate-specific lyase vAL-1 and Aplysia poly(M) lyase AkAly30, were also conserved in LbAly28. Site-directed mutagenesis regarding these residues, that is, replacements of Lys94, Lys97, Thr121, Arg 123, Tyr135, and Tyr137 to Ala, decreased the activity of recombinant LbAly28 to various degrees. From these results we concluded that LbAly28 is a member of PL-14 alginate lyases. Besides the effects of above mutations, we noticed that the replacement of T121 by Ala changed the substrate preference of LbAly28. Namely, the activities toward sodium alginate and poly(MG)-block substrate increased and became comparable with the activity toward poly(M)-block substrate. This suggests that the region including T121 of LbAly28 closely relates to the recognition of poly(MG) region of alginate.

Comparative study on general properties of alginate lyases from some marine gastropod mollusks

Alginate lyase (EC 4.2.2.3) is an enzyme that splits glycosyl linkages of alginate chain via β-elimination, producing unsaturated oligoalginates. This enzyme is widely distributed in herbivorous marine mollusks, brown algae, and marine and soil bacteria. In the present study, we determined the general properties and partial amino acid sequences of alginate lyases from three Archeogastropoda, i.e., Haliotis discus hannai, H. iris, and Omphalius rusticus, and one Mesogastropoda, i.e., Littorina brevicula, in order to enrich the information about functional and structural diversity in gastropod alginate lyases. The alginate lyases were extracted from hepatopancreas of these animals and purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by conventional column chromatography. Single alginate lyases with molecular masses of approximately 28, 34, and 34 kDa were isolated from H. discus, H. iris, and O. rusticus, respectively. While three alginate lyases with molecular masses of 35, 32, and 28 kDa were isolated from L. brevicula. These enzymes were identified as poly(M) lyase (EC 4.2.2.3) since they preferably degraded poly(M)-rich substrate. Western blot analysis using an antiserum raised against H. discus enzyme suggested that H. iris, and O. rusticus enzymes shared similar primary/higher-order structure with H. discus enzyme, but the L. brevicula enzymes did not. H. discus, H. iris, and O. rusticus enzymes were classified to polysaccharide-lyase family-14 by the analysis of partial amino acid sequences, while the L. brevicula enzymes were not.

Specificity of inducible seaweed anti-herbivory defences depends on identity of macroalgae and herbivores

Meso-herbivores can strongly affect biomass accrual and macrophytobenthic commu- nity structure. To counter grazing effects, constitutive and induced anti-herbivory responses evolved in seaweeds. Feeding-assayed induction experiments were conducted in the laboratory to investigate whether 14 d grazing periods by either the periwinkle Littorina brevicula or the abalone Haliotis dis- cus induced anti-herbivory defences in the green alga Ulva pertusa and the brown alga Laminaria japonica. Where appropriate, assays were repeated with artificial food containing lipophilic algal extracts, using dichloromethane (DCM) as a solvent, to test whether or not snails induced chemical defences. While exposure to periwinkles reduced palatability of fresh L. japonica pieces for naive conspecific grazers, no such effect was displayed by abalone-exposed L. japonica pieces. Patterns of grazer specificity in the palatability of fresh algae were not confirmed when using artificial food con- taining algal DCM extracts. This suggests that L. japonica either induced morphological defences or periwinkle-deterrent substances originated from the non-lipophilic fraction of defensive chemicals. Grazer-specific induced responses were not apparent in U. pertusa assays. This study revealed that the induction of chemical anti-herbivory responses depends not only on the type of grazer but also on the type of alga on which the grazer feeds.

Spatiotemporal variations in rocky intertidal malacofauna throughout Japan in the 1970s and 1980s

Spatial and temporal variations of benthic fauna over a wide region (>1,000 km) that includes complex ocean currents have seldom been quantitatively studied. The present study revealed malacofaunal variations on Japanese rocky shores affected by the Soya, Tsushima, Oyashio, and Kuroshio currents, and in the Inland Sea. On 29 shores in seven regions in these sea areas, previous researchers have recorded the number of molluscs in quadrats in spring and summer of 1978 and 1984–1986. Reanalyses of these records revealed the following patterns. (1) Shore-to-shore variation in malacofauna was correlated with shore-to-shore geographical distance less clearly for more southern regions. This might show that in southern regions many taxa with low relative abundance are haphazardly recorded on some shores and blur the effect of shore-to-shore distance on malacofaunal dissimilarity. (2) Region-to-region variation in malacofauna was significantly correlated with region-to-region geographical distance. This suggests the influences of environments and paleontological events specific to each current surrounding each region. (3) The pattern of dissimilarity between the Inland Sea and the other sea areas greatly changed from the 1970s to 1980s. This was due in part to the following density fluctuations on some shores in the Inland Sea: increases in the non-indigenous mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, cultured oyster Crassostrea gigas, and littorinid Littorina brevicula reportedly abundant in sheltered areas; and decreases in the littorinid Nodilittorina radiata reportedly abundant in exposed areas and muricid gastropods Thais spp. showing imposex. This suggests an increase of anthropogenic perturbations during the study period in the Inland Sea which is surrounded by large cities and ports.

Sexual differences in the shell assessment behavior of the hermit crab &lt;i&gt;Pagurus filholi &lt;/i&gt;(Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae)

Sexual differences in shell exploitation behavior of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi were investigated in the laboratory. Prior to this study, the size of shells preferred by crabs of a given size was estimated by free-shell choice experiments and was used for the present experiment. Crabs collected from the field were removed from their original shells and put in Littorina brevicula shells smaller or larger than preferred, or in shells with preferred size. Each of crabs was put in an aquarium provided with 100 L. brevicula shells, and, to maintain the motivational state of crabs constant during the experiments, the aperture of each shell was blocked by glass balls to prevent crabs from exchanging shells. We counted the number and size of shells assessed by each crab. Results were that females more frequently assessed shells than males did during the observation time, and were not affected by the difference in size adequacy of their occupying shell. The sizes of shells explored by females were similar to their preferred size, however, males tended to assess shells that were larger than preferred. This sexual difference was not affected by size of their original occupying shells. The female's higher activity in shell exploitation behavior and their better shell size suitability in the field suggested that acquirement of empty shells , for which opportunity is rare in the field, could be an important process for improving their shell size suitability in the field.

Inducible responses in the brown seaweed Ecklonia cava: the role of grazer identity and season

Summary Plants must either tolerate consumption or defend themselves against grazer attacks. Selection for phenotypically plastic antiherbivory responses has been suggested for many plants, including a few species of seaweed, but little is known about its specificity or seasonality. Multi‐factorial experiments tested the effects of consumer identity (Littorina brevicula vs. Haliotis discus) and season (summer vs. autumn) on the induction of antiherbivory defences in the brown seaweed Ecklonia cava. Following a grazer‐free acclimation phase, algae were incubated with grazers (treatment phase) and, subsequently, without grazers (recovery phase). Feeding preference assays, were used to assess differences in consumption rates between grazer‐exposed and control plants. In summer, Littorina, but not Haliotis, induced defence in Ecklonia. This defence vanished by the end of the recovery phase. In autumn, neither exposure to direct attack nor to waterborne cues induced defensive responses. Both consumer identity and season of consumption can influence the ability of a given macroalgal species to induce antiherbivory defences. Tailoring such responses to spatial and temporal variation in grazer pressure could have profound ecological implications, for example changing food webs and community structure.

Seasonal Dynamics of Marine Benthic Communities in Intertidal Zone of Gwangyang Bay, Southern Coast of Korea

Species composition and community structure of marine benthic community were studied in the intertidal zone of Jijindo Island, Gwangyang Bay. A total of 85 species of benthic marine plants including the 5 Cyanophyta, 9 Chlorophyta, 13 Phaeophyta, 56 Rhodophyta and 2 Magnoliophyta that were listed. The community structure was represented by Gelidium divaricatum in the upper zone, Celidium divalicatum and Ulva pertusa in the middle, and Ulva pertusa, Chondria crassicaulis, Chondracanthus intermedia and Sargassum thunbergii in the lower intertidal zone. The dominant species in the rnscro-zoobenthic community were Chthamalux challengeri in the upper and middle, Littorina brevicula between the upper and middle, and Mytilus edulis and Crassostrea gigas in the middle and lower intertidal zones. The economic benthic organisms such as Undaria pinnatifida, Mytilus edulis, and Crassostrea gigas found in the lower intertidal zone were frequently disturbed due to their collection by local resident. Therefore, it is necessary to record the correct information pertaining to these cases. The species diversity indices estimated kom different sources were quite different. They were 2.22 derived from frequency, 1.67 based on coverage, 2.17 based on sum of frequency and coverage and 2.04 derived from importance value. Species diversity and number of algal species in Gwangyang Bay have noticeably decreased, compared with their previously reported status. It is estimated that their decreases were caused by changes in the marine environment, especially pertaining to the polychaete community resulting from reclamation and dredging activity undertaken for the industrial development.