Marine mollusc predator-escape behaviour altered by near-future carbon dioxide levels.
Ocean acidification poses a range of threats to marine invertebrates; however, the potential effects of rising carbon dioxide (CO2) on marine invertebrate behaviour are largely unknown. Marine gastropod conch snails have a modified foot and operculum allowing them to leap backwards rapidly when faced with a predator, such as a venomous cone shell. Here, we show that projected near-future seawater CO2 levels (961 µatm) impair this escape behaviour during a predator-prey interaction. Elevated-CO2 halved the number of snails that jumped from the predator, increased their latency to jump and altered their escape trajectory. Physical ability to jump was not affected by elevated-CO2 indicating instead that decision-making was impaired. Antipredator behaviour was fully restored by treatment with gabazine, a GABA antagonist of some invertebrate nervous systems, indicating potential interference of neurotransmitter receptor function by elevated-CO2, as previously observed in marine fishes. Altered behaviour of marine invertebrates at projected future CO2 levels could have potentially far-reaching implications for marine ecosystems.
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, , Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia, Programme for Physiology and Neurobiology, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, , Oslo 0316, Norway, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero, , Torregrande, Oristano 09072, Italy.
Sue-Ann
SA
Watson
Sjannie
S
Lefevre
Mark I
MI
McCormick
Paolo
P
Domenici
Göran E
GE
Nilsson
Philip L
PL
Munday
D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D012908:Snails / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D002245:Carbon Dioxide
GABA; invertebrate; neurotransmitter receptor; ocean acidification; predator–prey; trophic interaction