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In situ rates of body growth and palp regeneration of a spionid polychaete following simulated sublethal predation

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Abstract

Sublethal predation can be a significant trophic pathway in sediment communities, and the regeneration of damaged tissue affects the activity, growth, and reproduction of prey. A field experiment was conducted 12–18 July 2010 in the Tijuana Estuary, California (+32.56617°, −117.13152°), to measure in situ rates of body growth and palp regeneration of the polychaete Polydora cornuta after simulating sublethal predation by removing 2, 1, or 0 palps from labeled individuals. After 3 days in the field, individuals that had 2 palps removed grew significantly slower than worms that had 0 palps removed; 1-palp worms had intermediate growth. After 6 days in the field, rates of body growth were faster than those of worms recovered after 3 days, with similar trends among the three palp treatments. During the 3-day transplantation, removed palps regenerated to half the initial length of unmanipulated palps. After 6 days, palp lengths did not differ significantly among treatment groups, indicating complete regeneration. The regeneration rate of removed palps was significantly faster than the growth rate of undamaged palps, and palp regeneration rate did not differ significantly between worms that had 1 or 2 palps removed.

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Acknowledgments

M. Colvin, Z. Scott, and W. Houston assisted in the laboratory and field. The staff of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, especially J. Crooks and B. Collins, permitted access and helped facilitate our fieldwork. Comments by S. Lindsay, A-M. Torregrossa, M. Colvin, K. Stocks, and two anonymous reviewers improved earlier versions of this manuscript. Funding was provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Grant NA08OAR4170669, California Sea Grant Project R/CZ-199 through NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program, U.S. Dept. of Commerce. Environmental monitoring data were collected and processed under an award to J. Crooks from the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, NOAA. This is Contribution No. 19 of the Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory, San Diego State University.

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  1. Department of Biology and Coastal and Marine Institute, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4614, USA

    John Allen Matthews & Brian T. Hentschel

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  1. John Allen Matthews
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Correspondence to Brian T. Hentschel.

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Communicated by J. P. Grassle.

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Matthews, J.A., Hentschel, B.T. In situ rates of body growth and palp regeneration of a spionid polychaete following simulated sublethal predation. Mar Biol 159, 1039–1048 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-012-1884-y

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