A shift away from mutualism under food-deprived conditions in an anemone-dinoflagellate association.

ABSTRACT: The mutualistic symbiosis between anthozoans and intra-gastrodermal dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae is the functional basis of all coral reef ecosystems, with the latter providing up to 95% of their fixed photosynthate to their hosts in exchange for nutrients. However, recent studies of sponges, jellyfish, and anemones have revealed the potential for this mutualistic relationship to shift to parasitism under stressful conditions. Over a period of eight weeks, we compared the physiological conditions of both inoculated and aposymbiotic anemones (Exaiptasia pallida) that were either fed or starved. By the sixth week, both fed groups of anemones were significantly larger than their starved counterparts. Moreover, inoculated and starved anemones tended to disintegrate into

SUBMITTER: Peng SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7602683 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature