Copepods induce paralytic shellfish toxin production in marine dinoflagellates

• Among the thousands of unicellular phytoplankton species described in the sea, some frequently occurring and bloom-forming marine dinoflagellates are known to produce the potent neurotoxins causing paralytic shellfish poisoning. The natural function of these toxins is not clear, although they have been hypothesized to act as a chemical defence towards grazers. Here, we show that waterborne cues from the copepod Acartia tonsa induce paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) production in the harmful algal bloom-forming dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum. Induced A. minutum contained up to 2.5 times more toxins than controls and was more resistant to further copepod grazing. Ingestion of non-toxic alternative prey was not affected by the presence of induced A. minutum. The ability of A. minutum to sense and respond to the presence of grazers by increased PST production and increased resistance to grazing may facilitate the formation of harmful algal blooms in the sea.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Alexandrium minutum

Acartia tonsa

induced resistance

paralytic

shellfish poisoning

ALEXANDRIUM-MINUTUM

FEEDING-BEHAVIOR

ACARTIA-TONSA

ASCOPHYLLUM-NODOSUM

CHEMICAL ECOLOGY

COLONY FORMATION

COASTAL

WATERS

FOOD WEBS

ZOOPLANKTON

SCENEDESMUS

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