The chemical defense of four Mediterranean nudibranchs

Cimino, Guido; Rosa, Salvatore De; Stefano, S. De; Sodano, G.

doi:10.1016/0305-0491(82)90061-x

Cited by 61 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Scalaradial has been considered a distasteful chemical that acts as a predator deterrent in sponges and nudibranchs (Cimino et al 1982;Rogers & Paul 1991;Avila & Paul 1997). The tasting and subsequent rejection of the extract-coated models by reef fishes in our experiments confirm that the compounds found in Cacospongia (mostly scalaradial, desacetyl scalaradial, and scalarin) can be strong feeding deterrents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes

Casalduero¹,

Thacker

Paul

1999

Chemoecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary. While many marine molluscs have been suggested to use aposematic coloration to avoid predation, few studies have tested the ability of marine predators to learn to associate colors with distasteful prey. In field experiments, we tested the ability of two populations of reef fishes to discriminate among red, yellow, and black artificial nudibranch models when one color was paired with a feeding deterrent. We offered fishes (1) the models without any feeding deterrents, (2) the models with a feeding deterrent coated onto one color, and (3) the models without deterrents again. If reef fishes learn to associate colors with noxious prey, we expected the color paired with the feeding deterrent to be eaten less frequently in the final assay than the initial assay. In both populations, fishes formed clear associations between color and feeding deterrence. However, when the experiment was repeated in one population, changing the color paired with the feeding deterrent, fishes did not form an association between color and feeding deterrence. In this case, prior learning may have affected subsequent trials. Our study indicates that common colors of nudibranchs are recognizable by fishes and can be associated with noxious prey.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes

Casalduero¹,

Thacker

Paul

1999

Chemoecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the chromodonds, these chemicals are usually accumulated from prey items without being transformed. The only examples of transformation of metabolites in this family of nudibranchs are in Hypselodoris orsini (Glossodoris tncolor; Cimino et al 1982Cimino et al , 1993, Glossodorispallida (Rogers & Paul 1993), Chromodoris funerea (Carte et al 1986) and Chromodoris youngbleuthi (Terem & Scheuer 1986). H. orsini transforms scalaradial (a sesterterpene; Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical ecology of the nudibranch Glossodoris pallida:is the location of diet-derived metabolites important for defense?

Ávila¹,

Paul²

1997

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The nudibranch mollusc Glossodoris pallida possesses the diet-derived terpenoid compounds scalaradial, desacetylscalaradial, and deoxoscalarin. In this study, w e determined whether the compounds were located strategically in the nudibranch body for defense against predators, a s well as whether they were present in mucus secreted by the nudibranch. Analysis of the distribution of metabolites in the different body parts indicated a n accumulation of compounds in the border of the mantle (where the mantle dermal formations are located), a s well a s in the mucus secretion. Several experiments were conducted in order to establish a relationship between the location of the compounds and the chemical defense of the nudibranch, using al-tiflclal diets as well as animals with and without the borders of their mantles. The compounds from the mantle border deterred feeding by crabs (Leptodius spp.) and reef fishes when tested at their natural concentrations. When the mantle borders were removed from some nudibranchs, these animals were s~gnlflcantly more susceptible to predation by reef fishes than were animals with their mantle borders lntact While we were able to demonstrate that the diet-denved compounds in the mantle border function In the defense of the nudibranch, both in the laboratory against the crabs and in the field against natural assemblages of predatory reef fishes, our exper~ments with artificial diets did not indicate that the location of the compounds was critical for defense. Food cubes with pieces of mantle border tissue or extracts of mantle border tissue distributed uniformly throughout the cubes or along one border were equally effective at deterring feeding by reef fishes relative to control cubes. The location of diet-derived compounds in the mantle borders may also serve other functions in addition to defense.

show abstract

“…While a previous study with fishes suggested possible ecological functions of polygodial (Cimino et al 1982), that study used consumers that would never encounter these prey in nature, so ecological roles for the compounds were uncertain. Ecological functions are best demonstrated when natural compounds are presented in realistic ways to co-occurring consumers (Pawlik et al 1995, Hay 1996, Bernays & Chapman 2000.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Laboratory tests confirmed that this was due to chemical traits, and both fishes were deterred by polygodial alone, clearly demonstrating that this compound serves as a defense against ecologically realistic consumers. The effects of this compound against other fishes (Cimino et al 1982) and its occurrence in a diverse group of sedentary prey (trees, aquatic macrophytes, sponges) both suggest that it may serve as an effective defense against numerous generalist consumers. However, polygodial may not be the complete chemical arsenal of these prey species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fishes learn aversions to a nudibranchs chemical defense

Long¹,

Hay²

2006

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The nudibranch Doriopsilla pharpa was rejected as food when tethered in the field and when offered to 2 species of co-occurring crabs (the lesser blue crab Callinectes similus and the mud crab Panopeus herbstii) and 2 species of co-occurring fishes (the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus and the striped blenny Chasmodes bosquianus) in the laboratory. When the fishes were offered squid-based artificial food containing nudibranch extracts (i.e. defended food), both species initially consumed this food, but rapidly developed aversions in subsequent feedings. Although both fishes rapidly learned to reject the food, they learned using different cues. The striped blenny Chasmodes bosquianus regurgitated following the initial feeding and then avoided all food made of squid regardless of whether or not it contained the extract. In contrast, the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus did not regurgitate, and learned to avoid only food containing the extract; it still consumed squid-based food without the extract. Thus, the mummichog detected the deterrent chemical and avoided only defended food while the striped blenny was a less effective feeder, avoiding both defended and undefended food that tasted like squid. Bioassay-guided separation using the mummichog demonstrated that the sesquiterpene polygodial was responsible for the deterrent effects of the nudibranch extract. This metabolite also resulted in the striped blenny avoiding either squid-or tunabased food treated with this metabolite. KEY WORDS: Fish behavior · Predator-prey interactions · Chemical ecology · Oyster reefResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

show abstract

The chemical defense of four Mediterranean nudibranchs

Cited by 61 publications

References 19 publications

Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes

Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes

Chemical ecology of the nudibranch Glossodoris pallida:is the location of diet-derived metabolites important for defense?

Fishes learn aversions to a nudibranchs chemical defense

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

The chemical defense of four Mediterranean nudibranchs

Cited by 61 publications

References 19 publications

Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes

Association of color and feeding deterrence by tropical reef fishes

Chemical ecology of the nudibranch Glossodoris pallida:is the location of diet-derived metabolites important for defense?

Fishes learn aversions to a nudibranchs chemical defense

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Fishes learn aversions to a nudibranchs chemical defense