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"Intertidal animals."
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Bloodworms and other wriggly beach dwellers
Hidden from view under the sand, a hunter is searching for a meal. It's a hungry bloodworm and it has spotted a tiny crab. Suddenly, an alien-like proboscis shoots from its head revealing four sharp fangs. The worm injects venom into its prey, paralyzing and killing the little crab. Then the bloodworm slurps up the crab's soft insides!
Book
Wild Kratts. Season 4, episode 8, Stars of the tides
Aviva comes up with a creature power challenge for the Kratt brothers when she gets tired of their arguing over a Shell they find. As the challenge, they must use some new creature powers as its a race to survive one of the harshest habitats on earth, the Rocky intertidal.
Streaming Video
Tide pool secrets
\"At first glance, there's nothing much to see... but tide pools are full of secrets. What creatures can be found nestling among the rocks and hiding in the seaweed? Dive into these mysterious seashore habitats and learn how to spot the creatures concealed within. With big, easy-to-lift flaps and a glossary of the tide pool's inhabitants\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Effect of food addition on the reproductive intensity and timing of both sexes of an intertidal crab
Males and females of most animals time reproduction and synchronize their reproductive activity to maximize lifetime fitness. When food is abundant, however, the 2 sexes may time investments in reproduction differently due to sexual differences in how energy limits reproductive success. Many intertidal animals have reproductive cycles with semilunar or lunar periods timed to coincide with a certain phase of the tidal amplitude cycle when offspring survive best. Given an optimal time to breed, well-fed females may increase their investment in offspring but not change when they breed, while males may invest more both before and after the mating peak. We explored this possibility by feeding a mixed-sex population of the fiddler crabUca terpsichoresin field enclosures over 2 sequential trials of 1 mo each. Food addition increased male courtship intensity, particularly in the latter part of the semilunar reproductive cycles, but did not change the peak days of reproductive activity. Food addition had no consistent effects on female mate-searching intensity or reproductive timing during either month-long trial. These results suggest that female reproductive cycles and their timing do not result from semilunar variation in food. However, since females breed at most once a month, the trials may not have been of sufficient duration to reveal an effect of food on female reproductive investment. Previous studies suggest that semilunar variation in predation on larvae is the most important factor regulating reproductive timing by both sexes. Our results indicate that additional food also influences the schedule of male reproductive investment.
Journal Article
Biogeography and biodiversity of intertidal micromollusca of northern New Zealand
Three hundred and sixty-seven species (91% endemic to New Zealand) of micromollusc (greatest dimension of adult shell <10 mm) are recorded from the intertidal zone of northern New Zealand. Many of these shells have been washed up dead from deeper water and thus the total diversity is more representative of the inner shelf (0-50 m), but at least 154 species have been found living in our intertidal surveys. Eleven of our species’ records are provincial range extensions, two for the Aupourian Province (northeast coast) and nine for the Cookian Province (west coast). More than twice the number of micromolluscs live in the warmer Aupourian Province (361 spp.) than the west coast Cookian Province (157 spp.). Cluster analysis of 162 spring low-tidal survey localities based on presence/absence data (Jaccard coefficient) of 257 micromollusc species allows the recognition of nine associations that reflect increasing diversity from sheltered inner harbour localities (0-10 species per locality) out to partly sheltered-fully exposed localities around the entrance to the Hauraki Gulf (61-140 species per locality). The cluster subdivision also reflects the lower biodiversity on the open west coast shores compared to the east coast, partly a result of the greater range of habitats present on open east coast shores. The two inner and middle harbour associations occur in both the Waitemata and Manukau harbours on each coast. Two other associations that occur around the entrance to the Manukau Harbour also occur on the coast around the middle reaches of the Hauraki Gulf. One association is restricted to the exposed west coast of the Waitakere Ranges and Awhitu Peninsula and the remaining four associations are restricted to the coast of the inner, middle and outer Hauraki Gulf and Whangarei Harbour on the east coast.
Journal Article
Intertidal records of ‘sea slugs’ (nudibranchs and allied opisthobranch gastropods) from northern North Island, New Zealand
We record the intertidal or shallow subtidal (<2–3 m) occurrence of 78 species of ‘sea slug’ from northern North Island of New Zealand. One (Goniodorisn.sp.) is recorded for the first time. The majority are briefly described, illustrated and their records plotted on maps. Three taxa are probably undescribed new species. All except two (Aphelodorissp.,Trinchesia reflexa) of the species have been recorded from along the east coast (warmer water Aupourian Province) but only 44% (34 spp.) have been recorded from the west coast (cooler Cookian Province). The highest diversity of intertidal/shallow water ‘sea slugs’ has been recorded from the Leigh area (47 spp.), Bay of Islands (42 spp.) and Great Barrier Island (38 spp.) reflecting the intensity of survey (Leigh) and diversity of habitats on the warmer coast (latter two). Of the harbours, 33 spp. are recorded from the Waitemata, 27 spp. from Parengarenga and 24 spp. from the Manukau, reflecting the intensity of survey (Waitemata, Manukau) and unusual warm conditions of far north Parengarenga. Of the ‘sea slugs’ recorded herein, 45% are endemic to New Zealand and nine of these are endemic to northern New Zealand.
Journal Article
Respiratory Response to Periodic Emergence in Intertidal Molluscs
The ratio of aerial: aquatic$\\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2}\\ (\\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm a})}\\colon \\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm w})})$was computed for species of intertidal molluscs. This ratio was <1 for sub- and lower littoral species suggesting partial anaerobiosis in air and >1 for high littoral archeogastropods suggesting high metabolic demands in air.$\\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm a})}\\colon \\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm w})}$ratios were near unity for meso- and neogastropod species regardless of zonation. Littoral fringe mesogastropods had ratios <1 reflecting reduced activity on emergence. A major gastropod adaptation to increasing emergence is reduction of ctenidium surface area and formation of a mantle cavity lung. Mid- and high littoral pulmonates with both a mantle cavity lung and secondary gills have$\\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm a})}\\colon \\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm w})}$ratios near unity. In contrast, littoral fringe pulmonates without secondary gills are partially anaerobic in water. Emerged low and mid-littoral bivalves close the valves, are almost entirely anaerobic, have$\\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm a})}\\colon \\dot{{\\rm V}}{\\rm o}_{2({\\rm w})}$ratios ≤0.14:1 and conserve energy by greatly reducing metabolic demand in air. In contrast, emerged high littoral bivalves remain aerobic by periodic gaping and mantle cavity ventilation. Such behaviors support an aerobic metabolism while minimizing evaporative water loss. Aerial gas exchange prevents anaerobic end-product accumulation and, with a reduction in energy demand, allows efficient energy store utilization during prolonged emergence.
Journal Article
Feeding and Digestion in Suspension-Feeding Bivalve Molluscs: The Relevance of Physiological Compensations
Intertidal suspension-feeding bivalves face reductions in the time available for feeding proportional to the duration of aerial exposure. Such individuals do not compensate by increasing their rates of feeding during immersion. Simulations of feeding behaviour, in terms of the energetic balance between the costs and the gains of changes in feeding rate, suggest that variation from the rates characteristic of the sublittoral condition would not enhance net energy gain for intertidal individuals. These findings are consistent with evidence of potential food limitation in the natural sublittoral habitat. Nevertheless, hydrodynamic factors may enhance the supply of food on the shore, so ameliorating the disadvantages of reduced feeding time. In addition, potential physiological compensations for reduced dietary quality include changes in gut residence time, the volume of gut occupied for digestion and (possibly) also in the provision of appropriate digestive enzymes. However, these compensations require days or weeks and are inappropriate on tidal time scales.
Journal Article
Calorimetric Studies of Behavior, Metabolism and Energetics of Sessile Intertidal Animals
Behaviors to conserve water during intertidal exposure at the same time impair respiratory gas exchange, so that observed responses to emersion may reflect compromises between these incompatible needs. Behavioral isolation of the tissues from air results in the complete or partial reliance on anoxic energy metabolism, which is most reliably measured directly as heat dissipation. Combined direct calorimetry and indirect calorimetry (respirometry) enable the partitioning of total metabolic heat dissipation into its aerobic and anoxic components, which may vary according to physical and biological factors. The mussel Mytilus edulis is tolerant of anoxia and saves water and energy during aerial exposure in its rocky intertidal habitat by closing its shell valves and becoming largely anoxic. Like most suspension feeders in this habitat, its compensation for reduced feeding time involves energy conservation; there is little evidence for energy supplementation such as increases in feeding rate or absorption efficiency. Ammonia production continues during aerial exposure and is involved in acid-base balance in the hemolymph and mantle cavity fluid. Infaunal cockles (Cardium edule) and mussels (Geukensia demissa) gape their shell valves, remain largely aerobic and have high rates of heat dissipation during intertidal exposure, a response which appears related to the lower desiccation potential and exploitation of richer trophic resources in their soft-sediment habitats. The variable expansion of the symbiotic sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima reflects interaction among the responses to desiccation, irradiance and continued photosynthesis by its zooxanthellae during exposure to air.
Journal Article
Physiological Responses to Air Exposure: Acid-Base Balance and the Role of Branchial Water Stores
Intertidal organisms usually exhibit one of two behaviors when they are air exposed. They either isolate themselves from the aerial environment or they interact with the aerial environment. Among the animals using the first behavior, body fluid acid-base balance is partially maintained by dissolution of the calcium carbonate shell in the bivalve molluscs to buffer the metabolic acids produced anaerobically. Calcium ions compensate for the acidosis by increasing the strong ion difference. The release of carbonate from the shell causes an increase in molecular CO2which offsets the compensation somewhat, but this effect is minimized by distributing the CO2among the other fluids within the shell and/or by venting the shell to the air. In animals which have a fairly high concentration of a respiratory pigment, such as a lugworm, an anaerobically induced acidosis is minimized by a large Haldane effect. Among the animals which interact with the aerial environment, the decapod crustaceans by and large maintain their metabolism aerobically, although it may be greatly reduced. A respiratory acidosis due to elevated hemolymph Pco2may be either fully compensated or not at all. Compensation involves an increase in hemolymph calcium, probably from the calcium carbonate exoskeleton. Compensatory mechanisms may also include branchial water stores which accumulate a titratable base. It is suggested that the alkalinization of the branchial water maintains a steeper Pco2gradient across the gill and reduces the magnitude of the acidosis for a short period of time. The ability to use branchial water stores in this way may be tied to the ability of the animal to osmoregulate.
Journal Article