Rate of natural mortality in the sea star Archaster angulatus (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
pp. 1689-1693
Author(s):  
John K. Keesing

The population size structure from a total of 876 individuals, together with published values of growth rate, maximum size and size at age were used to estimate an instantaneous rate of natural mortality (M) of 0.46–0.59 year−1 in a population of the sea star Archaster angulatus from south-western Australia. Peak abundance (17%) of all animals sampled was 105–109 mm arm radius (means of 4.2–4.8 years of age) and only one per cent of sea stars are predicted to live beyond 8 years in the population studied. There are few comparable studies on sea stars but when compared with rates of natural mortality in other echinoderms (sea urchins), A. angulatus is intermediate among species which exhibit the extremes of life history strategies, that is, those which grow very rapidly and may live just two years or less and those with very slow growth rates and which may live for decades.

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Retno Hartati ◽  
Endika Meirawati ◽  
Sri Redjeki ◽  
Ita Riniatsih ◽  
Robertus Triaji Mahendrajaya

Abstract Types of Star Fish and Sea Urchins (Asteroidea, Echinoidea: Echinodermata) In Cilik Island, Karimunjawa WatersEchinoderms are fundamentally good indicators of health and status of coralline communities in marine waters.  Substrat of  sandy, rububle and coral reefs are good habitat for Asteroidea dan Echinoidea.  This study aim to identify sea star (Asteroidea) and sea urchin (Echinoidea) species from Pulau Cilik waters of Karimunjawa Islands. Asteroidea and Echinoidea observed using the line transect method used, ie subjects within the same distance between the transect and the transect square with observations of 2.5 m on the right and left of transect line line. Morphology, habitat type (substrate & depth) and total number of sea stars and sea urchins at each station were determined. The results showed that Pulau Cilik has six species of Asteroidea (Sea star), ie Linckia laevigata, L. multifora, Neoferdifla ocellata (Family Ophidiasteridae), Luidia alternate (Luidiidae Family), Culcita novaeguineae (Family Oreasteridae) and Acanthaster planci which belongs to Family Acanthasteridae. There were 4 species of Echinoidea Sea urchin) found, i.e. Diadema setosum, D. antillarum, D. savignyi and Echinothrix calamaris, which all were family members of Diadematidae Keywords: Ophidiasteridae, Luidiidae, Oreasteridae, Acanthasteridae, Diadematidae AbstrakEchinodermata pada dasarnya merupakan indikator kesehatan dan status dari terumbu karang di laut. Dasar perairan yang landai dengan substrat pasir, terumbu karang dan pecahan karang yang merupakan habitat bagi hewan jenis Asteroidea dan Echinoidea. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi henis-jenis bitang laut dan bulu babi dari perairan Pulau Cilik, Kepulauan Karimunjawa. Pengamatan Asteroidea dan Echinoidea menggunakan metoda line transect yang dimodifikasi, yaitu mengamati subjek dalam jarak yang sama sepanjang garis transect dan kuadrat transect dengan pengamatan 2,5 m di sebelah kanan dan kiri garis line transect. Morfologi, tipe habitat (substrat & kedalaman) dan jumlah total bintang laut dan bulu babi di tiap stasiun dicatat selanjutnya sampel diidentifikasi berdasarkan ciri morfologi tersebut. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa di perairan Pulau Cilik ditemukan enam spesies Asteroidea (Bintang Laut), yaitu Linckia laevigata, L. multifora, Neoferdifla ocellata (Famili Ophidiasteridae), Luidia alternate (Famili Luidiidae), Culcita novaeguineae (Famili Oreasteridae) dan Acanthaster planci yang termasuk dalam Famili Acanthasteridae. Species Echinoidea (Bulu Babi) ditemukan 4 spesies  Diadema setosum, D. antillarum, D. savignyi dan Echinothrix calamaris  semua anggota famili Diadematidae.Kata kunci : Ophidiasteridae, Luidiidae, Oreasteridae, Acanthasteridae, Diadematidae


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1063
Author(s):  
Andrew Wolff ◽  
Veronica Hinman

The ability to regenerate is scattered among the metazoan tree of life. Further still, regenerative capacity varies widely within these specific organisms. Numerous organisms, all with different regenerative capabilities, have been studied at length and key similarities and disparities in how regeneration occurs have been identified. In order to get a better grasp on understanding regeneration as a whole, we must search for new models that are capable of extensive regeneration, as well as those that have been under sampled in the literature. As invertebrate deuterostomes, echinoderms fit both of these requirements. Multiple members regenerate various tissue types at all life stages, including examples of whole-body regeneration. Interrogations in two highly studied echinoderms, the sea urchin and the sea star, have provided knowledge of tissue and whole-body regeneration at various life stages. Work has begun to examine regeneration in echinoderm larvae, a potential new system for understanding regenerative mechanisms in a basal deuterostome. Here, we review the ways these two animals’ larvae have been utilized as a model of regeneration.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh F. Carter ◽  
Jeffrey R. Thompson ◽  
Maurice R. Elphick ◽  
Paola Oliveri

AbstractFree-swimming planktonic larvae are a key stage in the development of many marine phyla, and studies of these organisms have contributed to our understanding of major genetic and evolutionary processes. Although transitory, these larvae often attain a remarkable degree of tissue complexity, with well-defined musculature and nervous systems. Amongst the best studied are larvae belonging to the phylum Echinodermata, but with work largely focused on the pleuteus larvae of sea urchins (class Echinoidea). The greatest diversity of larval strategies amongst echinoderms is found in the class Asteroidea (sea-stars), organisms that are rapidly emerging as experimental systems for genetic and developmental studies. However, the bipinnaria larvae of sea stars have only been studied in detail in a small number of species and the full complexity of the nervous system is, in particular, poorly understood. Here we have analysed embryonic development and bipinnaria larval anatomy in the common North Atlantic sea-star Asterias rubens, employing use of a variety of staining methods in combination with confocal microscopy. Importantly, the complexity of the nervous system of bipinnaria larvae was revealed in greater detail than ever before, with identification of at least three centres of neuronal complexity: the anterior apical organ, oral region and ciliary bands. Furthermore, the anatomy of the musculature and sites of cell division in bipinnaria larvae were analysed. Comparisons of developmental progression and molecular anatomy across the Echinodermata provided a basis for hypotheses on the shared evolutionary and developmental processes that have shaped this group of animals. We conclude that bipinnaria larvae appear to be remarkably conserved across ~200 million years of evolutionary time and may represent a strong evolutionary and/or developmental constraint for species utilizing this larval strategy.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiki Wakita ◽  
Hitoshi Aonuma ◽  
Shin Tochinai

AbstractExtant echinoderms show five-part radial symmetry in typical shape. However, we can find some asymmetry in their details, represented by the madreporite position not at the center, different skeletal arrangement in two of the five rays of sea urchins, and a circular cavity formed by two-end closure. We suspect the existence of any difference in hidden information between the five. In our hypothesis, deep equivalency makes no issue in function even after exchanging the position of rays; otherwise, this autograft causes some trouble in behavior or tissue formation. For this attempt, we firstly developed a method to transplant an arm tip to the counterpart of another arm in the sea star Patiria pectinifera. As a result, seven arms were completely implanted—four into the original positions for a control and three into different positions—with underwater surgery where we sutured with nylon thread and physically prevented nearby tube feet extending. Based on our external and internal observation, each grafted arm (i) gradually recovered movement coordination with the proximal body, (ii) regenerated its lost half as in usual distal regeneration, and (iii) formed no irregular intercalation filling any positional gap at the suture, no matter whether two cut arms were swapped. We here suggest a deep symmetry among the five rays of sea stars not only in morphology but also in physiology, representing an evolutionary strategy that has given equal priority to all the radial directions. Moreover, our methodological notes for grafting a mass of body in sea stars would help echinoderm research involving positional information as well as immunology.


PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Schultz ◽  
Ryan N. Cloutier ◽  
Isabelle M. Côté

Echinoderm population collapses, driven by disease outbreaks and climatic events, may be important drivers of population dynamics, ecological shifts and biodiversity. The northeast Pacific recently experienced a mass mortality of sea stars. In Howe Sound, British Columbia, the sunflower starPycnopodia helianthoides—a previously abundant predator of bottom-dwelling invertebrates—began to show signs of a wasting syndrome in early September 2013, and dense aggregations disappeared from many sites in a matter of weeks. Here, we assess changes in subtidal community composition by comparing the abundance of fish, invertebrates and macroalgae at 20 sites in Howe Sound before and after the 2013 sea star mortality to evaluate evidence for a trophic cascade. We observed changes in the abundance of several species after the sea star mortality, most notably a four-fold increase in the number of green sea urchins,Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, and a significant decline in kelp cover, which are together consistent with a trophic cascade. Qualitative data on the abundance of sunflower stars and green urchins from a citizen science database show that the patterns of echinoderm abundance detected at our study sites reflected wider local trends. The trophic cascade evident at the scale of Howe Sound was observed at half of the study sites. It remains unclear whether the urchin response was triggered directly, via a reduction in urchin mortality, or indirectly, via a shift in urchin distribution into areas previously occupied by the predatory sea stars. Understanding the ecological implications of sudden and extreme population declines may further elucidate the role of echinoderms in temperate seas, and provide insight into the resilience of marine ecosystems to biological disturbances.


1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 1040-1044
Author(s):  
D. K. Banfield ◽  
J. D. G. Boom ◽  
B. M. Honda ◽  
M. J. Smith

Unlike sea urchins, sea stars have little stored histone RNA in their eggs. In an effort to quantify this difference, we have measured H3 RNA concentration in eggs and embryos of the sea star Pisaster ochraceus. The amount of H3 transcript in P. ochraceus 12-h embryos has been measured by RNA excess hybridization kinetics, using a single-strand 32P-labelled coding sequence probe. There are 1 × 105 H3 transcripts in each 12-h embryo. Putative egg H3 transcript concentration was estimated by reciprocal plots. The number of egg H3 homologous sequences (150/egg) is at least an order of magnitude less than rare complex-class, single-copy nuclear DN A transcripts. Slot blots and Northern blots indicate that sea star embryos do not reach the level of H3 transcript abundance seen in sea urchins until at least 16 h of development.


2000 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 2230-2239 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Shelton ◽  
G R Lilly

Sequential population analysis reconstructions of the northern cod (Gadus morhus) stock using survey and catch data formed the basis for the scientific advice for substantial reductions in catch quotas in the late 1980s. However, the model failed to provide acceptable reconstructions of the population in subsequent stock assessments when data for the 1990s were added. The model assumes constant age-independent instantaneous rate of natural mortality, accurate catch reporting, and a constant linear relationship between the survey index at age and the population size at age. It seems likely that one or more of these assumptions failed to hold around the time of the collapse. Diagnostic studies were carried out to determine the magnitude of the departure from the assumptions required to allow the model to fit the data. Information related to changes in natural mortality, fishing activity, and survey catchability is reviewed to evaluate the plausibility of departures from model assumptions of the magnitude estimated. It is concluded that unreported deaths caused by the offshore fishery may be most plausible as the main contributing factor to lack of model fit but that factors such as increased natural mortality, and possibly changes in survey catchability, also played a role.


Author(s):  
D. F. Blake ◽  
L. F. Allard ◽  
D. R. Peacor

Echinodermata is a phylum of marine invertebrates which has been extant since Cambrian time (c.a. 500 m.y. before the present). Modern examples of echinoderms include sea urchins, sea stars, and sea lilies (crinoids). The endoskeletons of echinoderms are composed of plates or ossicles (Fig. 1) which are with few exceptions, porous, single crystals of high-magnesian calcite. Despite their single crystal nature, fracture surfaces do not exhibit the near-perfect {10.4} cleavage characteristic of inorganic calcite. This paradoxical mix of biogenic and inorganic features has prompted much recent work on echinoderm skeletal crystallography. Furthermore, fossil echinoderm hard parts comprise a volumetrically significant portion of some marine limestones sequences. The ultrastructural and microchemical characterization of modern skeletal material should lend insight into: 1). The nature of the biogenic processes involved, for example, the relationship of Mg heterogeneity to morphological and structural features in modern echinoderm material, and 2). The nature of the diagenetic changes undergone by their ancient, fossilized counterparts. In this study, high resolution TEM (HRTEM), high voltage TEM (HVTEM), and STEM microanalysis are used to characterize tha ultrastructural and microchemical composition of skeletal elements of the modern crinoid Neocrinus blakei.


2020 ◽  
Vol 646 ◽  
pp. 79-92
Author(s):  
RE Scheibling ◽  
R Black

Population dynamics and life history traits of the ‘giant’ limpet Scutellastra laticostata on intertidal limestone platforms at Rottnest Island, Western Australia, were recorded by interannual (January/February) monitoring of limpet density and size structure, and relocation of marked individuals, at 3 locations over periods of 13-16 yr between 1993 and 2020. Limpet densities ranged from 4 to 9 ind. m-2 on wave-swept seaward margins of platforms at 2 locations and on a rocky notch at the landward margin of the platform at a third. Juvenile recruits (25-55 mm shell length) were present each year, usually at low densities (<1 m-2), but localized pulses of recruitment occurred in some years. Annual survival rates of marked limpets varied among sites and cohorts, ranging from 0.42 yr-1 at the notch to 0.79 and 0.87 yr-1 on the platforms. A mass mortality of limpets on the platforms occurred in 2003, likely mediated by thermal stress during daytime low tides, coincident with high air temperatures and calm seas. Juveniles grew rapidly to adult size within 2 yr. Asymptotic size (L∞, von Bertalanffy growth model) ranged from 89 to 97 mm, and maximum size from 100 to 113 mm, on platforms. Growth rate and maximum size were lower on the notch. Our empirical observations and simulation models suggest that these populations are relatively stable on a decadal time scale. The frequency and magnitude of recruitment pulses and high rate of adult survival provide considerable inertia, enabling persistence of these populations in the face of sporadic climatic extremes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Hermes ◽  
Mitul Luhar

AbstractIntertidal sea stars often function in environments with extreme hydrodynamic loads that can compromise their ability to remain attached to surfaces. While behavioral responses such as burrowing into sand or sheltering in rock crevices can help minimize hydrodynamic loads, previous work shows that sea stars also alter body shape in response to flow conditions. This morphological plasticity suggests that sea star body shape may play an important hydrodynamic role. In this study, we measured the fluid forces acting on surface-mounted sea star and spherical dome models in water channel tests. All sea star models created downforce, i.e., the fluid pushed the body towards the surface. In contrast, the spherical dome generated lift. We also used Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to measure the midplane flow field around the models. Control volume analyses based on the PIV data show that downforce arises because the sea star bodies serve as ramps that divert fluid away from the surface. These observations are further rationalized using force predictions and flow visualizations from numerical simulations. The discovery of downforce generation could explain why sea stars are shaped as they are: the pentaradial geometry aids attachment to surfaces in the presence of high hydrodynamic loads.


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