How Snakes Find Prey Underwater: Sea Snakes Use Visual and Chemical Cues for Foraging

Kutsuma, Ryo; Sasai, Takahide; Kishida, Takushi

doi:10.2108/zs180059

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Cetacea Odontoceti absent absent [24,47] Mysticeti present, smelling in the air absent [25][26][27][28]] Sirenia present, smelling in the air absent [47,56] Hydrophiini absent present, smelling underwater a [42][43][44][45][46], this study a It remains unknown whether hydrophiins use the VNS for smelling in the air or not.…”

Section: Mos Vns Referencesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Little is known about olfactory capacities of sirenians, but they also possess a putatively functional though degenerated MOS [47,56], and their olfactory anatomy suggests that they smell in the air, not underwater [56]. On the other hand, hydrophiins possess well-developed VNOs, and behavioural studies suggest that they smell underwater using VNS [45,46] (table 1). The well-developed underwater-functional VNS of sea snakes is derived from the V2R-predominant well-developed snake VNS, and the difference of the olfactory capabilities between hydrophiins and fully aquatic mammals is explained by the difference of the olfactory capabilities between their terrestrial ancestors.…”

Section: (D) Comparison Among Fully Aquatic Amniotesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Loss of olfaction in sea snakes provides new perspectives on the aquatic adaptation of amniotes

Kishida

Tatsumoto

et al. 2019

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Marine amniotes, a polyphyletic group, provide an excellent opportunity for studying convergent evolution. Their sense of smell tends to degenerate, but this process has not been explored by comparing fully aquatic species with their amphibious relatives in an evolutionary context. Here, we sequenced the genomes of fully aquatic and amphibious sea snakes and identified repertoires of chemosensory receptor genes involved in olfaction. Snakes possess large numbers of the olfactory receptor ( OR ) genes and the type-2 vomeronasal receptor ( V2R ) genes, and expression profiling in the olfactory tissues suggests that snakes use the ORs in the main olfactory system (MOS) and the V2Rs in the vomeronasal system (VNS). The number of OR genes has decreased in sea snakes, and fully aquatic species lost MOS which is responsible for detecting airborne odours. By contrast, sea snakes including fully aquatic species retain a number of V2R genes and a well-developed VNS for smelling underwater. This study suggests that the sense of smell also degenerated in sea snakes, particularly in fully aquatic species, but their residual olfactory capability is distinct from that of other fully aquatic amniotes. Amphibious species show an intermediate status between terrestrial and fully aquatic snakes, implying their importance in understanding the process of aquatic adaptation.

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Section: Mos Vns Referencesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: (D) Comparison Among Fully Aquatic Amniotesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loss of olfaction in sea snakes provides new perspectives on the aquatic adaptation of amniotes

Kishida

Tatsumoto

et al. 2019

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…Data on sea snakes are limited, but some taxa have been reported to use chemical cues from their prey to select foraging sites ( Emydocephalus annulatus [ 20 ]; Hydrophis melanocephalus and H . ornatus [ 21 ]). For logistical reasons, we tested only catfish-scented versus control water, rather than including multiple other treatments (such as pungency controls and natural chemicals with no biological significance to the test subjects).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies on non-natricine aquatic snakes have reported that chemical cues from the prey initiate foraging responses in some taxa (e.g., acrochordids [37]) but not others (e.g., the homalopsine Pseudoferania polylepis [7]). Data on sea snakes are limited, but some taxa have been reported to use chemical cues from their prey to select foraging sites (Emydocephalus annulatus [20]; Hydrophis melanocephalus and H. ornatus [21]). For logistical reasons, we tested only catfish-scented versus control water, rather than including multiple other treatments (such as pungency controls and natural chemicals with no biological significance to the test subjects).…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aquatic habitats largely eliminate substrate-deposited chemical trails, promoting reliance on other types of cues (such as visual ones [17]). However, many marine organisms (including fish) produce waterborne chemicals that may be detectable by a snake's highly specialized vomeronasal system [18,19], and three species of sea snakes have been reported to use chemical cues from their prey to select foraging sites (Emydocephalus annulatus [20]; Hydrophis melanocephalus and H. ornatus [21]. Thus, although the threedimensional nature of the aquatic environment reduces the usefulness of substrate-deposited cues, it allows other kinds of chemical cues to be widely disseminated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Swim with the tide: Tactics to maximize prey detection by a specialist predator, the greater sea snake (Hydrophis major)

Udyawer

Goiran

Chateau³

et al. 2020

PLoS ONE

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The fitness of a predator depends upon its ability to locate and capture prey; and thus, increasing dietary specialization should favor the evolution of species-specific foraging tactics tuned to taxon-specific habitats and cues. Within marine environments, prey detectability (e.g., via visual or chemical cues) is affected by environmental conditions (e.g., water clarity and tidal flow), such that specialist predators would be expected to synchronize their foraging activity with cyclic variation in such conditions. In the present study, we combined behavioral-ecology experiments on captive sea snakes and their prey (catfish) with acoustic tracking of free-ranging sea snakes, to explore the use of waterborne chemical cues in this predator-prey interaction. In coral-reef ecosystems of New Caledonia, the greater sea snake (Hydrophis major) feeds only upon striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus). Captive snakes became more active after exposure to waterborne chemical cues from catfish, whereas catfish did not avoid chemical cues from snakes. Movement patterns of tracked snakes showed that individuals were most active on a rapidly falling tide, which is the time when chemical cues from hidden catfish are likely to be most readily available to a foraging predator. By synchronizing foraging effort with the tidal cycle, greater sea snakes may be able to exploit the availability of chemical cues during a rapidly falling tide to maximize efficiency in locating and capturing prey.

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Convergence of Aquatic Feeding Modes in the Sauropsida (Crocodiles, Birds, Lizards, Snakes and, Turtles)

Heiss

Gignac

Porro

et al. 2023

Fascinating Life Sciences

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How Snakes Find Prey Underwater: Sea Snakes Use Visual and Chemical Cues for Foraging

Cited by 15 publications

References 23 publications

Loss of olfaction in sea snakes provides new perspectives on the aquatic adaptation of amniotes

Loss of olfaction in sea snakes provides new perspectives on the aquatic adaptation of amniotes

Swim with the tide: Tactics to maximize prey detection by a specialist predator, the greater sea snake (Hydrophis major)

Convergence of Aquatic Feeding Modes in the Sauropsida (Crocodiles, Birds, Lizards, Snakes and, Turtles)

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