Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T13:19:15.767Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Several parameters that influence body size in the sea anemone Actinia equina in rock pools on the Yorkshire coast

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2019

Bryony Carling ,
Louise K. Gentle  and
Nicholas D. Ray
Bryony Carling*
Affiliation:
School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell NG25 0QF, UK
Louise K. Gentle
Affiliation:
School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell NG25 0QF, UK
Nicholas D. Ray
Affiliation:
School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell NG25 0QF, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Bryony Carling, E-mail: bryonycarling@hotmail.co.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Despite being classed as an asocial species, aggregations of sea anemones can be common in abundant species. UK populations of the geographically common aggressive intertidal sea anemone Actinia equina, form clustered aggregations notwithstanding a violent nature towards neighbours and relatives. Smaller in body size, and more abundant than those found in warmer climates, little research has been undertaken to discover what factors affect body size. This study investigates whether aggregation, distance to neighbour, submergence at low tide or pH in rock pools affect body size of A. equina in their natural habitat. Populations were investigated at five sites on the Yorkshire coast during August and September 2016. A total of 562 anemones were recorded revealing that solitary anemones were significantly larger than those found in clustered aggregations. In addition, anemones found submerged in rock pools at low tide were significantly larger than those found on emergent rock, and smaller anemones were found in significantly higher pH conditions (8.5+) than larger anemones. Anemones submerged at low tide are constantly able to feed and not subject to harsh conditions such as wind exposure and temperature, hence they can achieve larger sizes. Consequently, the size of the anemones may reflect a trade-off between the benefits of aggregating in exposed environments and the costs of competition for a reduced food resource.

Keywords

Aggregationdistributionintraspecific competitiontrade-off
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 99 , Issue 6 , September 2019 , pp. 1267 - 1271
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anthony, KR (1997) Prey capture by the sea anemone Metridium senile (L.): effects of body size, flow regime, and upstream neighbors. Biological Bulletin 192, 73–86.Google Scholar
Bartosz, G, Finkelshtein, A, Przygodzki, T, Bsor, T, Nesher, N, Sher, D and Zlotkin, E (2008) A pharmacological solution for a conspecific conflict: ROS-mediated territorial aggression in sea anemones. Toxicon 51, 1038–1050.Google Scholar
Brace, RC and Quicke, DLJ (1986) Dynamics of colonization by the beadlet anemone, Actinia equina. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 66, 21–47.Google Scholar
Brace, RC, Pavey, J and Quicke, DLJ (1979) Intraspecific aggression in the colour morphs of the anemone Actinia equina: the ‘convention’ governing dominance ranking. Animal Behaviour 27, 553–561.Google Scholar
Briffa, M and Greenaway, J (2011) High in situ repeatability of behaviour indicates animal personality in the beadlet anemone Actinia equina (Cnidaria). PLoS ONE 6, e21963.Google Scholar
Chintiroglou, C and Koukouras, A (1992) A population of the sea anemone Anemonia viridis (Főrskal, 1775) and its associated flora and fauna, in the North Aegean Sea. Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie 77, 483–495.Google Scholar
Chomsky, O, Kamenir, Y, Hyams, M, Dubinsky, Z and Chadwick-Furman, NE (2004) Effects of temperature on growth rate and body size in the Mediterranean Sea anemone Actinia equina. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 313, 63–73.Google Scholar
Chomsky, O, Douek, J, Chadwick, NE, Dubinsky, Z and Rinkevich, B (2009) Biological and population-genetic aspects of the sea anemone Actinia equina (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 375, 16–20.Google Scholar
Davenport, J, Moloney, TV and Kelly, J (2011) Common sea anemones Actinia equina are predominantly sessile intertidal scavengers. Marine Ecology Progress Series 430, 147–155.Google Scholar
Firth, LB, Schofield, M, White, FJ, Skov, MW and Hawkins, SJ (2014) Biodiversity in intertidal rock pools: informing engineering criteria for artificial habitat enhancement in the built environment. Marine Environmental Research 102, 122–130.Google Scholar
Foster, NL and Briffa, M (2014) Familial strife on the seashore: aggression increases with relatedness in the sea anemone Actinia equina. Behavioural Processes 103, 243–245.Google Scholar
Francis, L (1973) Intraspecific aggression and its effect on the distribution of Anthopleura elegantissima and some related sea anemones. Biological Bulletin 144, 73–92.Google Scholar
Gadelha, JR, Morgado, F and Soares, AMVM (2012) Histological and structural analysis of Actinia equina L. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa). Microscopy and Microanalysis 18, 61–62.Google Scholar
Gibbin, EM and Davy, SK (2014) The photo-physiological response of a model cnidarian–dinoflagellate symbiosis to CO2-induced acidification at the cellular level. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 457, 1–7.Google Scholar
Goss-Custard, S, Jones, J, Kitching, JA and Norton, TA (1979) Tide pools of Carrigathorna and Barloge Creek. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 287, 1–44.Google Scholar
Hanski, I and Ranta, E (1983) Coexistence in a patchy environment: three species of Daphnia in rock pools. Journal of Animal Ecology 52, 263–279.Google Scholar
Haylor, GS, Thorpe, JP and Carter, MA (1984) Genetic and ecological differentiation between sympatric colour morphs of the common intertidal sea anemone Actinia equina. Marine Ecology Progress Series 16, 281–289.Google Scholar
Just, W and Morris, MR (2003) The Napoleon complex: why smaller males pick fights. Evolutionary Ecology 17, 509–522.Google Scholar
Maček, P and Lebez, D (1981) Kinetics of hemolysis induced by equinatoxin, a cytolytic toxin from the sea anemone Actinia equina. Effect of some ions and pH. Toxicon 19, 233–240.Google Scholar
Middelboe, AL and Hansen, PJ (2007) High pH in shallow-water macroalgal habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series 338, 107–117.Google Scholar
Navarro, E and Ortega, MM (1984) Amino acid accumulation from glucose during air exposure and anoxia in the sea anemone Actinia equina (L.). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Comparative Biochemistry 78, 199–202.Google Scholar
Newcomb, L, Challener, R, Gilmore, R, Guenther, R and Rickards, K (2011) Tidepools in Dead Man's Cove show large fluctuations in carbonate chemistry during the low tide in comparison to Haro Stait water. Friday Harbor Laboratories Student Research Papers 2, 1–28.Google Scholar
Orr, J, Thorpe, JP and Carter, MA (1982) Biochemical genetic confirmation of the asexual reproduction of brooded offspring in the sea anemone Actinia equina. Marine Ecology Progress Series 7, 227–229.Google Scholar
Purcell, JE and Kitting, CL (1982) Intraspecific aggression and population distributions of the sea anemone Metridium senile. Biological Bulletin 162, 345–359.Google Scholar
Robinson, L, Porter, B, Grocott, J and Harrison, K (2009) Injuries inflicted as a predictor of winning in contests between beadlet anemones, Actinia equina. The Plymouth Student Scientist 2, 32–49.Google Scholar
Rudin, FS and Briffa, M (2011) The logical polyp: assessments and decisions during contests in the beadlet anemone Actinia equina. Behavioral Ecology 22, 1278–1285.Google Scholar
Sebens, KP (1981) The allometry of feeding, energetics, and body size in three sea anemone species. Biological Bulletin 161, 152–171.Google Scholar
Sebens, KP (1982) The limits to indeterminate growth: an optimal size model applied to passive suspension feeders. Ecology 63, 209–222.Google Scholar
Sebens, KP (1987) The ecology of indeterminate growth in animals. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 18, 371–407.Google Scholar
Shick, MJ (1991) A Functional Biology of Sea Anemones. Hong Kong: Springer-Science and Business Media.Google Scholar
Tomanek, L and Helmuth, B (2002) Physiological ecology of rocky intertidal organisms: a synergy of concepts. Integrative and Comparative Biology 42, 771–775.Google Scholar
Venn, AA, Tambutté, E, Lotto, S, Zoccola, D, Allemand, D and Tambutté, S (2009) Imaging intracellular pH in a reef coral and symbiotic anemone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 106, 16574–16579.Google Scholar
Werner, EE and Gilliam, JF (1984) The ontogenetic niche and species interactions in size-structured populations. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 15, 393–425.Google Scholar
Wolcott, BD and Gaylord, B (2002) Flow-induced energetic bounds to growth in an intertidal sea anemone. Marine Ecology Progress Series 245, 101–109.Google Scholar
Wood, C (2005) A Guide to Sea Anemones and Corals of Britain and Ireland. Ross-on-Wye: Marine Conservation Society.Google Scholar