The Sediment Selectivity of Perinereis aibuhitensis Larvae: Active or Passive?

Abstract

The selectivity of Perinereis aibuhitensis larvae on different sediment types was studied using an experimental behavioral device in the lab. There were six types of sediment with different organic matter content: 2.19, 2.30, 2.86, 3.25, 3.51, and 5.52%. The results indicated significant differences in the six treatments’ organic matter content (p < 0.05). When the P. aibuhitensis larvae initially attached to the sediment, the larvae’s density showed no significant difference among the six treatments. The density of larvae decreased gradually during the experimental period. It increased with the increasing organic matter content in sediment at every sampling time, but there was no significant difference (p > 0.05). The larvae’s specific growth rate in the first month was significantly higher than those in the second and third months (p < 0.05). The mortality showed no significance at different sediments in equal sampling times, but the mortality was lower in high organic matter content sediments. This study showed that the P. aibuhitensis larvae did not make an active selection; random selection happened when initially attached to the sediment with different organic matter contents. Higher organic matter content in the sediment was more conducive to larvae survival, and the organic matter content is the limitation factor on the mortality and the density. The different densities in the natural habitat of P. aibuhitensis might occur due to the passive selection by the environment.

Relationship between Potential Trace Elements Contamination in Sediment and Macrofauna in the Upper Gulf of Thailand

“…P. quatrefagesi is the optimal bioindicator for copper, manganese, lead, and cadmium [ 33 , 34 ]. The sandworm is the primary way heavy metals are introduced into the food chain, as they efficiently absorb heavy metals from the environment [ 35 , 36 ].…”

Factors Affecting Burrow Architecture of the Polychaete Perinereis Aibuhitensis

“…Polychaetes are common infauna of the coastal intertidal zone and contribute to the remediation of sediment and ecological recovery in natural waters (Koo and Seo, 2017;Chouikh et al, 2020;Gopal et al, 2020;Fang et al, 2021b). Many studies have been conducted on the relationship between sediment and polychaete from several aspects, such as sediment selectivity, irrigation, burrowing, dissolved oxygen and microbial community (Papaspyrou et al, 2006;Shull et al, 2009;Crane and Merz, 2017;Fang et al, 2021a). However, burrow architecture is still not clearly understood.…”