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Functional morphology in chitons (Mollusca, Polyplacophora): influences of environment and ocean acidification

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Abstract

Polyplacophoran molluscs show low morphological diversity compared to other marine invertebrate clades, yet chitons are ecologically important grazers that occupy a range of distinct ecological niches. We investigated a potential functional correlate of niche separation in three species of co-occurring mopallid chitons that have total ranges across differing environments (Mopalia muscosa, Mopalia lignosa, Katharina tunicata). We found that the force needed to fracture the protective valves varied significantly among species. K. tunicata, whose valves have a relatively reduced exposed dorsal surface, was significantly more resistant to fracture than the two Mopalia species (mean force: K. tunicata = 31.9 ± 4.5 N; M. lignosa = 12.5 ± 0.8 N; M. muscosa = 20.2 ± 0.8 N). In Mopalia spp., the terminal valves were significantly stronger than intermediate valves (i.e. higher force to fracture), whereas all valves in K. tunicata appeared to be functionally equivalent. To assess whether future chemical changes predicted under ocean acidification (OA) will affect these species differently, we measured the force to fracture of valves after 10 days of exposure to elevated pCO2 (control = 8.0 pH [407 ± 104, pCO2], elevated = 7.5 pH [1544 ± 249, pCO2]) for both live animals and dissected individual valves. Although previous experimental OA work found significant impacts of elevated pCO2 on adult mollusc shells over similar timescales, we saw no reduction in total strength related to treatment. Our data demonstrate that diversity in chiton valve morphology has functional implications and that physical changes in local topology and wave exposure may have stronger impacts on adult chitons than changes in ocean chemistry under future climate change.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the director and staff of University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs, in particular Dr Emily Carrington (for access to the ocean acidification facilities) and Dr. Adam Summers (for access to materials testing facilities). We also thank Dr. Nick Carey (Queen’s University Belfast) for help with the experimental animals. PAG was funded by a Friday Harbor Labs scholarship. Geerat Vermeij and an additional reviewer kindly provided comments that improved an earlier version of this paper.

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Author notes

  1. Patrick A. Green

    Present address: Duke University Biology Department, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham, NC, 27708, USA

  2. Stephanie B. Crofts

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Laboratory, Queen’s University Belfast, 12-13 The Strand, Portaferry, BT22 1PF, Northern Ireland, UK

    Julia D. Sigwart

  2. Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 319 Morrill Science Center, 611 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA, 01003, USA

    Patrick A. Green

  3. Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-1800, USA

    Stephanie B. Crofts

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  1. Julia D. Sigwart
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Correspondence to Julia D. Sigwart.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: A. Checa.

Reviewed by D. I. Speiser and G. J. Vermeij.

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Sigwart, J.D., Green, P.A. & Crofts, S.B. Functional morphology in chitons (Mollusca, Polyplacophora): influences of environment and ocean acidification. Mar Biol 162, 2257–2264 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2761-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-015-2761-2

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