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Chemical cues released by heterospecific competitors: behavioural responses of native and alien invasive aquatic gastropods

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Abstract

Chemical cues released by organisms have the potential to impact the behaviour of species, particularly in aquatic environments. These interactions affect the dynamics of resource utilisation at a small scale. Chemical cues may also be significantly involved in heterospecific competition and in reducing biotic resistance thus facilitating invasion success. This occurs if one species causes another to vacate optimal niches. This study aimed to assess (1) the behavioural responses of native gastropods to chemical cues released by other native gastropod species with which they did not co-occur, and (2) whether native gastropods from different localities exhibit similar behavioural responses to chemical cues released by the alien invasive Tarebia granifera, irrespective of their prior exposure to the alien. Behavioural responses were measured using an experimental approach both in situ and in the laboratory. Principal Components Analyses were used to visualize the variation in the behavioural responses of gastropods which were measured in terms of displacement, number of steps and turning angles. Gastropod behaviour was similar for populations from different sites, irrespective of their prior exposure to T. granifera. The behaviour of native gastropods was only different when exposed to chemical cues naturally released by T. granifera. Additionally, native gastropods did not behave differently when exposed to the chemical cues of an alien physid, Aplexa marmorata. This suggests that a change in behaviour when exposed to chemical cues of T. granifera may not be the result of having different evolutionary histories, but rather that T. granifera has evolved a unique metabolite which acts a deterrent to potential competitive snails. The role of chemical cues in mediating interactions between native and invasive species needs further research, as they may be important factors influencing biotic resistance and facilitating invasion success.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for supporting this research. We appreciate the help of N Peer who assisted with field experiments as well as S Jones and N Carrasco for assisting with field collections. We are also grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their valuable recommendations and suggestions. This work is based on the research supported by the South African Research Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. Funding was also provided by the National Research Foundation (NRF), the South African–Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

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  1. DST/NRF Research Chair in Shallow Water Ecosystems, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Summerstrand South Campus, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Jacqueline L. Raw, Nelson A. F. Miranda & Renzo Perissinotto

  2. School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa

    Renzo Perissinotto

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  1. Jacqueline L. Raw
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  2. Nelson A. F. Miranda
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Correspondence to Jacqueline L. Raw.

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Raw, J.L., Miranda, N.A.F. & Perissinotto, R. Chemical cues released by heterospecific competitors: behavioural responses of native and alien invasive aquatic gastropods. Aquat Sci 77, 655–666 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-015-0409-4

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