Comparison of some epigean and troglobiotic animals regarding their metabolism intensity. Examination of a classical assertion

Simčić, Tatjana; Ŝket, Boris

doi:10.5038/1827-806x.48.2.2251

Cited by 16 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(54 reference statements)

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“…Previous studies supported the theory that stygobitic species evolved a lower metabolism, compared to that of close-related surface species, as adaptations towards some environmental features of groundwater environments [e.g. 28 , 38 , 39 , 52 ]. Reduced metabolism is advantageous for organisms living in habitats with chronically low and/or discontinuous food and oxygen supplies 39 , 61 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“… Taxon Location OCR T (°C) Ref. Asellus aquaticus carniolicus (nSB) Cerkniško jezero (Slovenia) 25 10 52 Asellus aquaticus (nSB) Rhône River (France) 196 11 38 Asellus aquaticus cavernicolus (SB) Zelške jame (Slovenia) 25 10 52 Stenasellus virei (SB) Groundwater of River Tarn (France) 64 11 2 Proasellus valdensis 1 (SB) La Balme caves (France) 350 2 27 Proasellus valdensis 1 (SB) La Balme caves (France) 350 4 27 Proasellus valdensis 1 (SB) La Balme caves (France) 750 7 27 Proasellus valdensis 1 (SB) La Balme caves (France) 850 10 27 Proasellus valdensis 1 (SB) La Balme caves (France) 850 13 27 Proasellus valdensis 1 (SB) La Balme caves (France) <...…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal acclimation and metabolic scaling of a groundwater asellid in the climate change scenario

Lorenzo

Reboleira

2022

Sci Rep

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Metabolic rate has long been used in animal adaptation and performance studies, and individual oxygen consumption is used as proxy of metabolic rate. Stygofauna are organisms adapted to groundwater with presumably lower metabolic rates than their surface relatives. How stygofauna will cope with global temperature increase remains unpredictable. We studied the thermal acclimation and metabolic scaling with body mass of a stygobitic crustacean, Proasellus lusitanicus, in the climate change scenario. We measured oxygen consumption rates in a thermal ramp-up experiment over four assay temperatures and tested two hypotheses: (i) P. lusitanicus exhibits narrow thermal plasticity, inadequate for coping with a fast-increasing thermal regime; and (ii) oxygen consumption rates scale with the body mass by a factor close to 0.75, as commonly observed in other animals. Our results show that P. lusitanicus has low thermal plasticity in a fast-increasing thermal regime. Our data also suggest that oxygen consumption rates of this species do not follow mass-dependent scaling, potentially representing a new trait of metabolic optimization in groundwater habitats, which are often limited in food and oxygen. Species with limited dispersal capacities and rigid metabolic guilds face extinction risk due to climate change and omitting groundwater ecosystems from climate change agendas emphasizes the unprotected status of stygofauna.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal acclimation and metabolic scaling of a groundwater asellid in the climate change scenario

Lorenzo

Reboleira

2022

Sci Rep

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“…Cave populations typically show troglomorphic traits and genetic isolation from each other and from adjacent surface populations (e.g., Verovnik et al, 2009;Pérez-Moreno et al, 2017). They have been 10.3389/fevo.2023.1155261 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 03 frontiersin.org described as a new species, new subspecies or simply as an isolated population (Turk-Prevorčnik and Blejec, 1998;Verovnik et al, 2004Verovnik et al, , 2009Pérez-Moreno et al, 2017;Simčič and Sket, 2019). Similarly, some surface populations have been given a subspecies status due to differences in morphology (Sket, 1994).…”

Section: Study Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Island and Rensch’s rules do not apply to cave vs. surface populations of Asellus aquaticus

et al. 2023

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Body size is a trait of fundamental ecological and evolutionary importance that is often different between males and females (sexual size dimorphism; SSD). The island rule predicts that small-bodied species tend to evolve larger following a release from interspecific competition and predation in insular environments. According to Rensch’s rule, male body size relative to female body size increases with increasing mean body size. This allometric body size – SSD scaling is explained by male-driven body size evolution. These ecogeographical rules are rarely tested within species, and has not been addressed in a cave–surface context, even though caves represent insular environments (small and isolated with simple communities). By analyzing six cave and nine surface populations of the widespread, primarily surface-dwelling freshwater isopod Asellus aquaticus with male-biased SSD, we tested whether cave populations evolved larger and showed higher SSD than the surface populations. We found extensive between-population variation in body size (maximum divergence being 74%) and SSD (males being 15%–50% larger than females). However, habitat type did not explain the body size and SSD variation and we could not reject isometry in the male–female body size relationship. Hence, we found no support for the island or Rensch’s rules. We conclude that local selective forces stemming from environmental factors other than island vs. mainland or the general surface vs. cave characteristics are responsible for the reported population variation.

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“…Metabolic rates of groundwater fauna are typically low as an evolutionary adaptation to survive chronically low and/or discontinuous food and oxygen supplies (Mezek et al, 2010; Wilhelm et al, 2006), and lower than those of related surface taxa across a range of temperatures (e.g. Di Lorenzo et al, 2015; Hervant et al, 1998; Issartel et al, 2005; but see Simčič & Sket, 2019). For example, during fasting, electron transport system activity and the respiration rate of the stygobitic amphipod Niphargus stygius did not change while significantly varying in the epigean relative Gammarus fossarum (Simčič et al, 2005).…”

Section: Do Stygofauna Have Narrow Ranges Of Trait States In Comparis...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Invertebrate traits, diversity and the vulnerability of groundwater ecosystems

et al. 2022

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Groundwater comprises the largest freshwater ecosystem on the planet. It has a distinct regime of extreme, yet stable environmental conditions that have favoured the development of similar morphological and functional traits in the resident invertebrate fauna (stygofauna). The analysis of community traits is increasingly used as an alternative to taxonomy‐based assessments of biodiversity, especially for monitoring ecosystem status and linking the functions of organisms to ecological processes, yet it has been rarely applied to stygofauna and groundwater ecosystems. In this paper, we review the variation in functional traits among the invertebrate fauna of this important ecosystem. We focus on the stygofauna and processes of alluvium and fractured rock aquifers that are typified by small voids and fissures that constrain the habitats and environmental conditions. As a first step, we compare trait variability between groundwater and surface water invertebrate communities and then examine the significance of the ranges of these traits to the vulnerability of the ecosystem to change. Fifteen potentially useful functional traits are recognised. Eight of these have narrower ranges (i.e. exhibit fewer states, or attributes, of a particular trait) in groundwater than they do in surface water. Two traits have wider ranges. Our synthesis suggests that the relative stability of groundwater environments has led to low trait variability. The low biomass and low reproductive rate of stygofauna suggest that recovery potential following disturbance is likely to be low. For the purposes of both improved understanding and effective management, further work is needed to document additional functional traits and their states in groundwater fauna, enabling a better understanding of the relationship between response and effect traits in these ecosystems. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Comparison of some epigean and troglobiotic animals regarding their metabolism intensity. Examination of a classical assertion

Cited by 16 publications

References 33 publications

Thermal acclimation and metabolic scaling of a groundwater asellid in the climate change scenario

Thermal acclimation and metabolic scaling of a groundwater asellid in the climate change scenario

Island and Rensch’s rules do not apply to cave vs. surface populations of Asellus aquaticus

Invertebrate traits, diversity and the vulnerability of groundwater ecosystems

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