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Environmental calcium modifies induced defences in snails.
Simon D Rundle1, John I Spicer, Ross A Coleman
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK. srundle@plymouth.ac.uk
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 23, 2004
Summary
Calcium availability constrains inducible defenses in snails. Environmental calcium levels interact with predation cues, affecting snail shell growth, form, and defensive plasticity.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Inducible defenses are adaptive traits developed in response to predators.
- The environmental factors constraining these plastic responses are not well understood.
- Calcium is essential for shell formation in molluscs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how calcium availability influences the expression of inducible defenses in snails.
- To determine the interactive effects of predation cues and calcium on snail morphology and behavior.
Main Methods:
- Snails were exposed to varying levels of calcium and chemical cues from predators (fish).
- Shell growth, weight, strength, aperture width, and behavioral avoidance were measured.
- Effects were analyzed for different snail size classes.
Main Results:
- Small snails showed increased growth and weight with predator cues, but only when calcium was sufficient.
- Calcium availability alone affected shell strength and aperture narrowness in larger snails.
- Behavioral avoidance in small snails correlated inversely with morphological plasticity.
Conclusions:
- Calcium availability is a key environmental constraint on inducible defenses in molluscs.
- This interaction has significant implications for understanding molluscan ecology and evolution.
- The findings highlight the interplay between environmental resources and adaptive phenotypic plasticity.