Predation is a key ecosystem function, especially in high diversity systems such as coral reefs. Not only is predation one of the strongest top-down controls of prey population density, but it also is a strong driver of prey behaviour and function through non-lethal effects. We ask whether predation risk influences sheltering behaviour of damselfish living in mutualism with branching corals. Host corals gain multiple advantages from the mutualistic relationship which are determined by the strength of damselfish sheltering. Distance travelled by the Lemon Damselfish Pomacentrus moluccensis away from their host colony was measured here as a proxy for sheltering strength and was expected to be shortest under highest predation risk. Predation risk, defined as a function of predator abundance and activity, turbidity and habitat complexity, was quantified at four reef slope sites in Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia. Damselfish sheltering strength was measured using stationary unmanned video cameras. Small damselfish (< 2 cm) increased their sheltering strength under high turbidity. Predator feeding activity, but not abundance, influenced damselfish sheltering strength. Contrary to our expectations, sheltering behaviour of adult damselfish decreased under high predator activity. While these observations are in line with riskaverse behaviour by juvenile P. moluccensis, they may indicate the presence of sentinel behaviour in the adults of this species. Habitat complexity seemed to be less important as a driver of damselfish behaviour. These counterintuitive results may indicate complex social behaviour and age-specific strategies for predator avoidance.
A growing awareness of role that microbiota can play in mediating the effects of pathogens on hosts has given rise to the concept of the pathobiome. Recently, we demonstrated that the Pacific oyster mortality syndrome affecting Crassostrea gigas oysters is caused by infection with the Ostreid herpesvirus type 1 (OsHV‐1) followed by infection with multiple bacterial taxa. Here we extend the concept of this pathobiome beyond the host species and its bacterial microbiota by investigating how seaweed living in association with oysters influences their response to the disease. We hypothesized that by their mere presence in the environment, different species of seaweeds can positively or negatively influence the risk of disease in oysters by shaping their bacterial microbiota and their immune response. Although seaweed and oysters do not have direct ecological interactions, they are connected by seawater and likely share microbes. To test our hypothesis, oysters were acclimated with green, brown or red algae for 2 weeks and then challenged with OsHV‐1. We monitored host survival and pathogen proliferation and performed bacterial microbiota and transcriptome analyses. We found that seaweeds can alter the bacterial microbiota of the host and its response to the disease. More particularly, green algae belonging to the genus Ulva spp. induced bacterial microbiota dysbiosis in oyster and modification of its transcriptional immune response leading to increased susceptibility to the disease. This work provides a better understanding of a marine disease and highlights the importance of considering both macrobiotic and microbiotic interactions for conservation, management and exploitation of marine ecosystems and resources.
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