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Physiological consequences of the supralittoral fringe: microhabitat temperature profiles and stress protein levels in the tropical periwinkle Cenchritis muricatus (Linneaus, 1758)

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Abstract

Habitat selection by marine snails is profoundly affected by variations in biotic and abiotic factors. In the supralittoral fringe of Caribbean rocky shores, the littorinid Cenchritis muricatus endures a near-terrestrial existence through a combination of active microhabitat choice and, during dry periods, repose. In this study, we sought to compare knobby periwinkle body size, thermal load, water loss, and stress protein expression among common supralittoral microhabitats to determine the physiological consequences of habitat selection. In this study, we show: (1) body temperatures in these snails exhibit daily fluctuations of more than 20°C and regularly exceed 46°C, (2) microhabitats differ in thermal stress over small spatial scales, with snails on black rocks and within crevices experiencing more extreme temperatures than snails on white rocks or grass, (3) water losses of 8.5% of total snail mass do not affect survival during 1 week, and (4) Hsp70, but not Hsp90, expression varies slightly among microhabitats but at a level much lower than physiologically possible. During arousal following hydration, snails exhibited substantially higher levels of Hsp70s than snails on dry substrates in the field. When inactive, Cenchritis appears to utilize a distinctly different physiological state consistent with aestivation metabolism and does not exhibit significant up-regulation of inducible heat shock proteins (Hsps). In summary, studies lacking detailed thermal and hydration history, and relying only upon Hsp levels, may misrepresent the true physiological consequences of microhabitat choice for high-shore tropical gastropods.

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Acknowledgments

Earlier drafts of this manuscript were improved by the comments of two anonymous reviewers. We are indebted to Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (Division of Fish and Wildlife, #SST-031-07 & #STX-013-08) and Virgin Islands National Park (US Department of the Interior, #VIIS-2007-SCI-0001) for the necessary permits to conduct this study, and the Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Station for its laboratory and lodging facilities. Several undergraduate research students from Manhattan College (Katie McCloskey) and Fordham College (Andrew Paska, Francesca LaRosa, and Anna-Maria Oprescu) assisted on this project. We gratefully acknowledge funding support from Manhattan College and Fordham University.

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  1. Department of Biology, Manhattan College, 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Riverdale, NY, 10471, USA

    Michael L. Judge

  2. Department of Natural Sciences, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, 113 West 60th Street, New York, NY, 10023, USA

    Mark L. Botton & Mary G. Hamilton

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  1. Michael L. Judge
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Judge, M.L., Botton, M.L. & Hamilton, M.G. Physiological consequences of the supralittoral fringe: microhabitat temperature profiles and stress protein levels in the tropical periwinkle Cenchritis muricatus (Linneaus, 1758). Hydrobiologia 675, 143–156 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0812-3

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