Document Type

Article

Publication Date

December 2016

Publication Title

Scientific Reports

Volume

6

First Page

Article no. 38637

DOI

10.1038/srep38637

ISSN

2045-2322

Keywords

Animal physiology, Biomechanics

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Biology

Abstract

Calcified marine organisms typically experience increased oxidative stress and changes in mineralization in response to ocean acidification and warming conditions. These effects could hinder the potency of animal weapons, such as the mantis shrimp’s raptorial appendage. The mechanical properties of this calcified weapon enable extremely powerful punches to be delivered to prey and aggressors. We examined oxidative stress and exoskeleton structure, mineral content, and mechanical properties of the raptorial appendage and the carapace under long-term ocean acidification and warming conditions. The predatory appendage had significantly higher % Mg under ocean acidification conditions, while oxidative stress levels as well as the % Ca and mechanical properties of the appendage remained unchanged. Thus, mantis shrimp tolerate expanded ranges of pH and temperature without experiencing oxidative stress or functional changes to their weapons. Our findings suggest that these powerful predators will not be hindered under future ocean conditions.

Comments

© The Author(s) 2016. This article was published in Scientific Reports, volume 6, 2016. It can also be found online at this link: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38637. Supplementary information accompanies this paper at http://www.nature.com/srep
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Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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