Filtration capacity of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis and its grazing impact in a shallow fjord

Petersen, Jens Kjerulf; Riisgård, Hans Ulrik

doi:10.3354/meps088009

Cited by 147 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…As suspension feeders, they have a significant influence on bentho-pelagic interactions, including impacts on primary production and concentrations of suspended particles (Petersen & Riisgård 1992, Kowalke 1999. As sessile, soft-bodied organisms, ascidians are vulnerable to generalist predators including fish (Randall 1967), sea urchins (Briscoe & Sebens 1988) and sea stars (Mauzey et al 1968, McClintock et al 2004) and specialist predators including select species of gastropods, including lamellarians and nudibranches (Cimino & Ghiselin 2001) as well as several flatworms (de Caralt et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Palatability and chemical anti-predatory defenses in common ascidians from the Antarctic Peninsula

Koplovitz

McClintock²,

Amsler³

et al. 2009

Aquat. Biol.

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Palatability of outer tissues of a suite (12 species) of Antarctic ascidians was evaluated using omnivorous fish and sea star predators. Tissues of 100% of those tested were unpalatable to fish, while 58% were unpalatable to sea stars. Lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts of 11 species were incorporated into pellets and tested in fish and sea star bioassays. Only the lipophilic extract from Distaplia colligans caused fish feeding deterrence. Organic extracts from 10 ascidian species were also examined in food pellet assays using an omnivorous amphipod. Only the lipophilic extract of D. cylindrica was a deterrent. Five of the ascidians possessed acidified outer tunics (pH < 3). We tested the ability of acidified krill pellets (pH 2 to 7) to deter fish and sea star predators and found that, while fish readily ingested acidified food pellets (pH 2), sea stars were deterred at pH 5 or less. Thus either organic or inorganic chemical defenses explain defense in 5 of the 7 ascidian species found unpalatable to sea stars. In contrast, chemical defenses only explain 1 of 12 species found unpalatable to fish, and only 1 of 10 ascidians tested against an amphipod predator. This predator-specific pattern of chemical defense may reflect greater predation pressure on ascidians from Antarctic sea stars. Alternatively, Antarctic ascidians may rely on other factors such as the toughness of their tunic or sequestration of heavy metals such as vanadium to inhibit feeding by Antarctic fish, a taxonomic group known to lack strong jaws.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Palatability and chemical anti-predatory defenses in common ascidians from the Antarctic Peninsula

Koplovitz

McClintock²,

Amsler³

et al. 2009

Aquat. Biol.

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“…Structural complexity, however, has also been shown to facilitate predation (Micheli 1997). Their biological activities also have the potential to influence the structure of macrofaunal assemblages; suspensionfeeding can deplete the water column of food and larvae (Woodin 1976, Peterson & Black 1987, Petersen & Riisgard 1992, Andre et al 1993, and the deposition of faecal material may change the biogeochemical composition of their surrounding sediments (Klerks et al 1996, Peterson & Heck 1999.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of two introduced suspension feeders in Port Phillip Bay, Australia

Ross¹,

Keough²,

Longmore³

et al. 2007

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In the past decade there has been a rapid increase in the study of the ecological consequences of marine invasions, but we still have data for only a small proportion of established marine invaders. This is exemplified by Port Phillip Bay, Australia, for which we have quantitative data on the impacts of only a handful of the >160 introduced and cryptogenic species present. Some of the most conspicuous of these invaders are the large epibenthic suspension feeders living on soft sediments. In this study, we examined the impact of 2 of the most common epibenthic suspension feeders in Port Phillip Bay, the introduced polychaete Sabella spallanzanii and an introduced solitary ascidian, Styela clava, by manipulating their densities in the field across the range of naturally occurring densities. Because of their physical presence at the sediment -water interface and suspension feeding activities, we predicted varying impacts across different macrofaunal groups (suspension feeders, deposit feeders, recruits and mobile species). These predictions were not supported for either introduced species despite good power. For individual taxa, there was a significant negative relationship between Sabella density and the abundance of lumbrinerid polychaetes and gammarid amphipods, and between Styela density and the abundance of lumbrinerids, tanaids, crustaceans as a group, and the bivalve Laternula rostrata. Nonetheless, these taxa only represent a small proportion of those present, and importantly, the effects generally emerged at Sabella and Styela densities (>1 to 2 ind. m -2 ) greater than those typically recorded on Port Phillip Bay sediments. Therefore, we suggest that the effects of Sabella and Styela on soft sediment assemblages in Port Phillip Bay are likely to be negligible.

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“…As a group, they are considered to be non-selective filter feeders able to capture particles from 0.5 to 100 pm (Fiala-Medioni 1987), with high retention efficiency for particles larger than 0.6 pm (Fiala-Medioni 1978a, Randlov & Riisggrd 1979, Stuart & Klumpp 1984. The filtration rates of ascidians have been shown to be dependent on external factors such as temperature, oxygen tension, and food concentration, as well as on morphological factors such as body size (Fiala-Medioni 1978c, 1979a, b, Robbins 1983, Klumpp 1984, Petersen & Riisgard 1992. However, most of these studies have been carried out under laboratory conditions and with simplified diets (FialaMedioni 1978c, Ra.ndl0v & RiisgArd 1979, Robbins 1983, Petersen & RiisgArd 1992, Petersen et al 1995.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The filtration rates of ascidians have been shown to be dependent on external factors such as temperature, oxygen tension, and food concentration, as well as on morphological factors such as body size (Fiala-Medioni 1978c, 1979a, b, Robbins 1983, Klumpp 1984, Petersen & Riisgard 1992. However, most of these studies have been carried out under laboratory conditions and with simplified diets (FialaMedioni 1978c, Ra.ndl0v & RiisgArd 1979, Robbins 1983, Petersen & RiisgArd 1992, Petersen et al 1995. These works have provided an understanding of the physical and biological factors that affect feeding activity of ascidi.ans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variation of in situ feeding rates by the temperate ascidian Halocynthia papillosa

Ribes¹,

Coma²,

Gili³

1998

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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The natural diet and prey capture rate of the temperate ascidian Halocynthia papillosa were studied in the field in a Western Mediterranean population. In sltu grazing rates on dissolved organic carbon, detrital particulate organic carbon, procaryotes, pico-and nanoeucaryotes, phytoplankton and ciliates were examined through a year cycle. The natural diet of the species included detrital organic matter, heterotrophic bacteria, Prochlorococcus sp., Synechococcus sp. (cyanobactena type), protozoa and phytoplankton with a mean size range from 0.6 Z? 0.3 (heterotrophic bacteria) to 70 * 22 pm (pennate diatoms). Specific clearance rates varied seasonally and exhibited a pattern of increase with temperature increase in which temperature explained 55 % of the variance in clearance rate throughout the year. Annual variation in prey concentration did not affect specific clearance rate Ingestion rate of the species showed a marked seasonal pattern which was different for the 2 main food sources: detrital and live particles. Thus, while the highest ingestion of detrital particles was in spring, the highest values of live particle ingestion occurred during summer and fall. Overall, an H. papillosa specimen of mean size 0.25 g AFDW (ash-free dry weight) was estimated to ingest an annual mean of 1305 * 496 pg C g AFDW-' h-' and 84 + 16 pg N g AFDW" h-' Carbon from detrital origin accounted for 92 k 2 % of the total ingested carbon, while ingestion of live carbon accounted for 8 -r-2 %. However. the seasonal variation of ingested nitrogen from live particles explained 91 % of the gonadal development variance for the year, suggesting that live particles are likely to be of more significance in the diet of the species than particles from detrital origm. Feeding rates are discussed in relation to seasonal changes In food availability and production of the species (i.e. growth and reproduction). The results suggest that factors other than food availability determine the seasonal dynamics of the species.

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Filtration capacity of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis and its grazing impact in a shallow fjord

Cited by 147 publications

References 19 publications

Palatability and chemical anti-predatory defenses in common ascidians from the Antarctic Peninsula

Palatability and chemical anti-predatory defenses in common ascidians from the Antarctic Peninsula

Impacts of two introduced suspension feeders in Port Phillip Bay, Australia

Seasonal variation of in situ feeding rates by the temperate ascidian Halocynthia papillosa

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