A comparative study of the anti-settlement properties of mytilid shells

Abstract

Marine organisms have evolved defence mechanisms to prevent epibiosis. This study investigated the anti-settlement properties of natural periostracal microtopographies of two mytilid species, Mytilus edulis (from North, Baltic and White Seas) and Perna perna (from the SW Atlantic). Resin replicas of shells were exposed to cyprids of the barnacle Semibalanus balanoides. Replicas with intact isotropic microtopographies and smooth controls were much less fouled than roughened anisotropic surfaces. This indicates that in both M. edulis and P. perna the periostracum possesses a generic anti-settlement property, at least against S. balanoides cyprids, which is not regionally adapted. Such a potential globally effective antisettlement mechanism possibly contributes to the invasive success of Mytilidae.

Antifouling effects of the periostracum on algal spore settlement in the mussel Mytilus edulis

“…Previous studies have shown that intact Mytilus ripple structures significantly reduce the settlement of larvae of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite (Scardino Relative activities (%) are expressed as means ± SD (n ≥ 3) *P < 0.1, **P < 0.01 (Scardino et al 2003). Thus, marine mussels have physical defensive structures to complement their chemical antifouling defenses (Bers et al 2006). Biogenically derived microtopographies may represent a promising nontoxic and environmentally friendly substrate, but the surface structures of biomimetic antifouling materials must parallel natural microtopographies.…”

“…Due to the limitations of conventional coatings, research on biomimetic surfaces and compounds inspired by natural systems has become important (Scardino and de Nys 2011). Researchers have observed that some marine species, such as mussels, can resist fouling when in good physiological condition (Scardino and de Nys 2004;Bers et al 2006). Mussels have a tough, yet pliable, proteinaceous shell covering secreted by the mantle, known as the periostracum (Harper and Skelton 1993;Scardino et al 2003).…”

Settlement and Behaviour of Marine Fouling Organisms

“…They were more likely to cluster on smooth panels. [115] Resin replicas of mussel shells (Mytilus edulis and Perna perna) were settled more when roughened than on natural microtextures or smooth controls. …”

Barnacle settlement on rocky shores: Substratum preference and epibiosis on mussels

“…One possible explanation is that many marine species have evolved behavioural, chemical, physical or mechanical defence mechanisms to prevent or minimise epibiotic settlement (Wahl, 1989). Given the possibility of harmful effects of epibiosis, one might expect surfaces of endemic species to evolve preventative measures to inhibit the settlement of local epibionts, while cosmopolitan species should show a generalised antifouling strategy (Bers et al, 2006). The texture of the periostracum influences the antifouling capacity of the shells of the mussel Mytilus edulis (Wahl et al, 1998;Bers and Wahl, 2004) and Mytilus galloprovincialis (Scardino et al, 2003) and there are indications of adaptation to local and abundant epibionts (Bers et al, 2006).…”