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Time-course of photoadaptation in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis

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Abstract

The time-course of photoadaptation in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis (Forskäl) was determined on freshly collected anemones which were maintained under low light (LL: 10 μE m-2s-1) or high light (HL: 300 μE m-2s-1) over a period of 35 d. Photosynthesis versus irradiance curves (P vs I) normalised to anemone dry weight were determined for anemones at the start of the experiment and for both groups at 7 d intervals. Photosynthetic parameters derived from the P vs I curves, P grossmax (the maximum photosynthetic capacity of the zooxanthellae), α (an estimate of photosynthetic efficiency) and I k(the light-saturating irradiance), and the respiration rate, showed that anemones were high-light adapted before the experiment began. Thereafter, any observed changes occurred only in anemones adapting to the low-light regime. P grossmax remained relatively constant over 35 d and there was no significant difference between LL and HL groups. In the LL group α increased and both I kand the respiration rate decreased significantly. These photoadaptive responses were most rapid in the first 7 d, after which change was gradual until about Day 28, when photoadaptation appeared to be complete. In order to predict the physiological mechanisms of photoadaptation to low light, P gross vs I curves normalised to zooxanthellae biomass were constructed for LL and HL anemones at 35 d. Zooxanthellae density and photosynthetic pigment content were also analysed. For LL-adapted anemones, α and chlorophyll a were higher, there were no differences in algal density and chlorophyll c 2 and I kwas lower. It is proposed that the size of the peridinin-chlorophyll a-protein complex (PCP) of the light-harvesting complex was increased to facilitate photoadaptation. Plotting P net vs I normalised to anemone dry weight on the 35 d-photoadapted anemones gave a measure of changes in the excess photosynthetically fixed carbon that was potentially available to the host. Net photosynthesis of the LL group was higher at subsaturating light intensities as a result of the increase in α, and at saturating light intensities P netmax was higher as a result of a decrease in the rate of respiration of the whole symbiotic association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, The University, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, Scotland

    A. D. Harland & P. S. Davies

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  1. A. D. Harland
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  2. P. S. Davies
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Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban

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Harland, A.D., Davies, P.S. Time-course of photoadaptation in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis . Marine Biology 119, 45–51 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00350105

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00350105

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