Mechanisms of temporary adhesion in benthic animals

Dodou, Dimitra; Breedveld, Paul; Winter, Joost de; Dankelman, Jenny; Leeuwen, J.L. van

doi:10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00132.x

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 119 publications

(180 reference statements)

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“…Because of a broad range of underwater applications in various fields, ranging from marine technology to medicine, current research interest in innovative reversible and reusable underwater adhesives increases [34][35][36]. Because traditional epoxy systems with strong reliable underwater bonding [31] are commonly known to be toxic, non-toxic adhesives of biological origin could offer a very promising alternative.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A universal glue: underwater adhesion of the secretion of the carnivorous flypaper plantRoridula gorgonias

2015

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Glandular trichomes of the carnivorous plant Roridula gorgonias release a viscous resinous secretion. Its adhesion to hydrophilic and hydrophobic glass surfaces was measured in air and underwater. The underwater adhesion reached up to 91% (on hydrophilic glass) and 28% (on hydrophobic glass) of that measured in the air. After being submersed for 24 h in water, trichomes did not lose their ability to adhere to both types of glass surfaces underwater. We assume that acylglycerides and triterpenoids, which have been demonstrated previously to be main compounds of the secretion, cause the predominantly non-polar character and the insolubility in water. The robustness of the secretion to a wet environment presumably enables the plant to maintain its trapping function also under humid conditions and during rainy weather.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A universal glue: underwater adhesion of the secretion of the carnivorous flypaper plantRoridula gorgonias

2015

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“…Colonies of D. glomerata have the tissue heavily covered with club-shaped spinous CaCO 3 sclerites (Utinomi, 1961), whose roughness might increase attachment capacity (Dodou et al, 2011), which could be an advantage to juvenile ophiuroids with very short arms. Conversely, the scarce number of basket stars found on colonies of the other soft coral species (especially Gersemia spp.)…”

Section: Basket Star and Soft Coral Co-occurrencementioning

confidence: 99%

Cold-Water Soft Corals (Cnidaria: Nephtheidae) as Habitat for Juvenile Basket Stars (Echinodermata: Gorgonocephalidae)

et al. 2020

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Nephtheidae soft corals are a common component of benthic ecosystems in the Northwest (NW) Atlantic and in the Arctic, but little is known about their functional roles. Here we investigated their role as habitat for basket stars (Ophiuroidea). By examining over 4500 soft coral colonies of Drifa glomerata, Duva florida, Gersemia spp., and Pseudodrifa racemosa collected during trawl surveys in the regions of Newfoundland, Labrador and West Baffin Bay, we show that Nephtheidae soft corals are habitat for juvenile Gorgonocephalus sp. basket stars. Juvenile Gorgonocephalus sp. were found on all soft corals species, but Drifa glomerata was the soft coral species with the highest occurrence of associated juvenile basket stars (32%), with a maximum of 111 basket stars found on a single 4.8 cm tall (contracted state) colony. Individual basket star disc diameter did not change with colony height, but it varied with season for individuals found on D. glomerata. On the other hand, colony height was positively related with maximum disc diameter (D. glomerata), and presence and number of basket stars on a colony (D. glomerata and D. florida). One very young ophiuroid was found within one polyp of a D. florida colony collected in July. We also examined bottom trawl survey data from 2011 to 2017 from Newfoundland to Baffin Bay, and other locations in the Eastern Canadian Arctic and found that for our largest database, 45% of trawl sets that contained basket stars also contained corals, of which 67% were Nephtheidae soft corals. In this study we show that all four Nephtheidae soft coral taxa studied act as habitat for juvenile basket stars, which are conspicuous components of benthic communities in cold-water environments. Soft corals are commonly exposed and vulnerable to bottom fishing gear in the North Atlantic. We urge future studies evaluating the nature of this relationship, the potential role of soft corals as nurseries, and the potential degree of dependency/preference between basket stars and soft corals in relation to other organisms.

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“…Biological adhesives can vary widely in structure and capability, be remarkably complex and involve a large range of interactions and components with different functions [ 40 ]. The strength of the adhesive bond is determined by the biochemical nature of the adhesive secretion [ 52 ]. Many adhesives are non-specific and can adhere to many different types of substrates.…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, glue is probably the most common attachment mechanism in benthic marine animals, where the organisms are often exposed to strong currents in varying directions. Adhesives are used for long term fixation to the substrate, e.g., by mussels and barnacles [ 40 ], and glue is also used for temporary adhesion, e.g., in snails, flatworms and seastars [ 52 – 53 ]. For example, echinoderms and flatworms use a duo-gland system for attachment and detachment [ 16 , 54 ].…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic versus terrestrial attachment: Water makes a difference

Ditsche¹,

Summers²

2014

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol.

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SummaryAnimal attachment to a substrate is very different in terrestrial and aquatic environments. We discuss variations in both the forces acting to detach animals and forces of attachment. While in a terrestrial environment gravity is commonly understood as the most important detachment force, under submerged conditions gravity is nearly balanced out by buoyancy and therefore matters little. In contrast, flow forces such as drag and lift are of higher importance in an aquatic environment. Depending on the flow conditions, flow forces can reach much higher values than gravity and vary in magnitude and direction. For many of the attachment mechanisms (adhesion including glue, friction, suction and mechanical principles such as hook, lock, clamp and spacer) significant differences have to be considered under water. For example, the main principles of dry adhesion, van der Waals forces and chemical bonding, which make a gecko stick to the ceiling, are weak under submerged conditions. Capillary forces are very important for wet adhesion, e.g., in terrestrial beetles or flies, but usually do not occur under water. Viscous forces are likely an important contributor to adhesion under water in some mobile animals such as torrent frogs and mayflies, but there are still many open questions to be answered. Glue is the dominant attachment mechanism of sessile aquatic animals and the aquatic realm presents many challenges to this mode of attachment. Viscous forces and the lack of surface tension under submerged conditions also affect frictional interactions in the aquatic environment. Moreover, the limitation of suction to the pressure difference at vacuum conditions can be ameliorated under water, due to the increasing pressure with water depth.

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Mechanisms of temporary adhesion in benthic animals

Cited by 17 publications

References 119 publications

A universal glue: underwater adhesion of the secretion of the carnivorous flypaper plantRoridula gorgonias

A universal glue: underwater adhesion of the secretion of the carnivorous flypaper plantRoridula gorgonias

Cold-Water Soft Corals (Cnidaria: Nephtheidae) as Habitat for Juvenile Basket Stars (Echinodermata: Gorgonocephalidae)

Aquatic versus terrestrial attachment: Water makes a difference

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