Abstract
Gastropods from the family Eulimidae have different life strategies in inhabiting their host echinoderms, but it is currently assumed that they derive most of their nutrition from the host’s tissues. This paper presents the results of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of different tissues of echinoderm hosts (crinoids Comaster nobilis and holothurians Holothuria atra) and their ectosymbionts (Annulobalcis wareni and Peasistilifer nitidula). Our data show that the stable nitrogen isotope enrichment level in symbionts is practically indistinguishable from that of their hosts. The symbionts are depleted in 13C compared to their hosts. We suggest that these molluscs may not feed on host tissues but instead obtain food particles from the environment, possibly stealing detritus particles, which, in turn, are food for these species of echinoderms. We revealed the proximity of the location and slight overlap of the crinoids’ visceral tissue and their symbiont tissues. This suggests a greater food variety for the symbionts. The detected differences in δ13C values and the almost complete absence of overlap of the holothurians’ body walls and symbionts allow us to conclude that in this symbiotic association, the hosts and symbionts rely on different food sources. In addition, the two studied echinoderm species differed significantly in δ13C signatures, which is confirmed by their different lifestyles. Thus, stable isotope analysis suggests that kleptoparasitism is at least an additional and possibly exclusive feeding mode for eulimids A. wareni and P. nitidula. However, this hypothesis will need to be followed up with morphological, biochemical, and experimental data.
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Acknowledgements
We thank our colleagues from laboratory of morphology and ecology of marine invertebrates, especially Fedor V. Lishchenko for preparing photos of live animals, the Coastal Branch of the Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center and Centre for Collective Use "Instrumental Methods in Ecology" (SIEE RAS) for their collaboration during the field sampling and laboratory analyses. We thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, remarks, and help in correctly identifying the molluscs.
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PYD, ESM, and AKZ set an aim of the study, discussed the results, contributed to data interpretation, and drafted the work; PYD and ESM organized field work, collected samples, contributed to data interpretation, and discussed the results; AGZ and AKZ performed analysis, contributed to data interpretation, and discussed the results. All authors approved the version to be published and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
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Dgebuadze, P.Y., Mekhova, E.S., Zuev, A.G. et al. Kleptoparasitism may be an additional or exclusive feeding mode in symbiotic associations of gastropods and echinoderms. Mar Biol 169, 142 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04130-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04130-y