Effects of covering behavior and exposure to a predatory crab Charybdis japonica on survival and HSP70 expression of juvenile sea urchins Strongylocentrotus intermedius

PLoS One. 2014 May 16;9(5):e97840. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097840. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Predation is a complex process among predator, prey and environment. Juvenile sea urchins are more susceptible to predators than adults, which affects community structure. Behavior is involved in anti-predator responses by changes in the expression of anti-predator responsive genes. Here, we investigated the effects of exposure to a predatory crab Charybdis japonica and covering behavior on survival and HSP70 expression of juvenile sea urchins Strongylocentrotus intermedius. C. japonica consumed large numbers of juvenile S. intermedius in 12 hours with a mortality of 34.17±11.43%. Covering behavior did not significantly reduce predation. Exposure to C. japonica did not significantly upregulate HSP70 expression of juvenile S. intermedius in 12 hours. Covering behavior showed no significant regulative effect on the gene expression of HSP70 of juvenile S. intermedius exposed to C. japonica for 12 hours. The results indicate that the anti-predator function of covering behavior is limited and that HSP70 expression does not appear to play an important role in the anti-predator process of S. intermedius.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brachyura
  • Escape Reaction
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism*
  • Predatory Behavior*
  • Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Chinese National 863 Project (2012AA10A412). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.