Aiptasia

Last updated

Aiptasia
Anemonas de mar (Aiptasia couchii), Parque natural de la Arrabida, Portugal, 2020-07-31, DD 92.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hexacorallia
Order: Actiniaria
Family: Aiptasiidae
Genus: Aiptasia
Gosse, 1858 [1]

Aiptasia is a genus of a symbiotic cnidarian belonging to the class Anthozoa (sea anemones, corals). Aiptasia is a widely distributed genus of temperate and tropical sea anemones of benthic lifestyle typically found living on mangrove roots and hard substrates. These anemones, as well as many other cnidarian species, often contain symbiotic dinoflagellate unicellular algae of the genus Symbiodinium living inside nutritive cells. The symbionts provide food mainly in the form of lipids and sugars produced from photosynthesis to the host while the hosts provides inorganic nutrients and a constant and protective environment to the algae. Species of Aiptasia are relatively weedy anemones able to withstand a relatively wide range of salinities and other water quality conditions. In the case of A. pallida and A. pulchella, their hardiness coupled with their ability to reproduce very quickly and out-compete other species in culture gives these anemones the status of pest from the perspective of coral reef aquarium hobbyists. These very characteristics make them easy to grow in the laboratory and thus they are extensively used as model organisms for scientific study. In this respect, Aiptasia have contributed a significant amount of knowledge regarding cnidarian biology, especially human understanding of cnidarian-algal symbioses, a biological phenomenon crucial to the survival of corals and coral reef ecosystems. The dependence of coral reefs on the health of the symbiosis is dramatically illustrated by the devastating effects experienced by corals due to the loss of algal symbionts in response to environmental stress, a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

Contents

Species

Species in the genus Aiptasia include: [2]

Morphology

Cnidarian species are found in one of two body forms: the polyp and the medusae. Some alternate between these two forms during their life cycle. In the case of Aiptasia, and all anthozoans, the body form is the polyp. The body is composed of a pedal disc with which Aiptasia attaches to the substrate, a smooth and elongated body column and an oral disc which bears the mouth and long stinging tentacles.

Reproduction

Aiptasia can reproduce both sexually and asexually. [3] Asexual reproduction occurs when a small segment is separated from the pedal disk. A si [4] ngle cell can be enough for a new Aiptasia anemone to form. [3] The separated segment will start growing and develop a new polyp. A new polyp is usually formed within 14 days. The new polyps are clones of the original Aiptasia. Aiptasia diaphana can produce both male and female offspring through asexual reproduction. Some clones even develop into hermaphrodites. [5]

Sexual reproduction in the well-studied Aiptasia pallida and Aiptasia pulchella , is dioecious, meaning that individual Aiptasia are of separate sexes. [4] During spawning, anemones release their gametes into the water where fertilization occurs. The resulting zygote becomes a free swimming planula larva which eventually settles onto a suitable substrate where it undergoes metamorphosis to become a small polyp. Newly produced larvae are aposymbiotic meaning they do not contain symbionts. The larvae or newly settled polyps can acquire symbiotic algae from the environment.

External factors affect the method of reproductions. While asexual reproduction is possible under diverse environmental conditions, sexual reproduction is dependent on lunar cycles and low environmental stress. [3] [4]

In the aquarium

Aiptasia sp. are considered pests in the marine aquarium hobby, because they are stressful to coral around them, and occasionally even sting fish and desirable invertebrates. They are often accidentally imported along with live rock. Once present in the aquarium, the polyps are notoriously difficult to remove as attempts to remove often inadvertently create more, due to new polyps regenerating from remnants. Hobbyists commonly put peppermint shrimp or certain species of filefish or butterfly fish inside the aquarium to control Aiptasia populations, as the arthropods regularly prey on small cnidarian polyps. The nudibranch Aeolidiella stephanieae , is considered one of the best predators for Aiptasia sp. This species used to be called and is still commonly referred to as Berghia verrucicornis . [3] A few of the more popular fish considered for controlling aiptasia are Acreichthys tomentosus , the bristletail filefish; Chelmon rostratus, the copperband butterflyfish; and Chaetodon kleinii, the sunburst butterflyfish; however these fish are potentially detrimental to other, desirable, sessile invertebrates.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cnidaria</span> Aquatic animal phylum having cnydocytes

Cnidaria is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic animals found both in freshwater and marine environments, predominantly the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyp (zoology)</span> One of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria (zoology)

A polyp in zoology is one of two forms found in the phylum Cnidaria, the other being the medusa. Polyps are roughly cylindrical in shape and elongated at the axis of the vase-shaped body. In solitary polyps, the aboral end is attached to the substrate by means of a disc-like holdfast called a pedal disc, while in colonies of polyps it is connected to other polyps, either directly or indirectly. The oral end contains the mouth, and is surrounded by a circlet of tentacles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral</span> Marine invertebrates of the class Anthozoa

Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthozoa</span> Class of cnidarians without a medusa stage

Anthozoa is a subphylum of marine invertebrates which includes the sea anemones, stony corals and soft corals. Adult anthozoans are almost all attached to the seabed, while their larvae can disperse as part of the plankton. The basic unit of the adult is the polyp; this consists of a cylindrical column topped by a disc with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. Sea anemones are mostly solitary, but the majority of corals are colonial, being formed by the budding of new polyps from an original, founding individual. Colonies are strengthened by calcium carbonate and other materials and take various massive, plate-like, bushy or leafy forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scleractinia</span> Order of Hexacorallia which produce a massive stony skeleton

Scleractinia, also called stony corals or hard corals, are marine animals in the phylum Cnidaria that build themselves a hard skeleton. The individual animals are known as polyps and have a cylindrical body crowned by an oral disc in which a mouth is fringed with tentacles. Although some species are solitary, most are colonial. The founding polyp settles and starts to secrete calcium carbonate to protect its soft body. Solitary corals can be as much as 25 cm (10 in) across but in colonial species the polyps are usually only a few millimetres in diameter. These polyps reproduce asexually by budding, but remain attached to each other, forming a multi-polyp colony of clones with a common skeleton, which may be up to several metres in diameter or height according to species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aggregating anemone</span> Species of sea anemone

The aggregating anemone, or clonal anemone, is the most abundant species of sea anemone found on rocky, tide swept shores along the Pacific coast of North America. This cnidarian hosts endosymbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that contribute substantially to primary productivity in the intertidal zone. The aggregating anemone has become a model organism for the study of temperate cnidarian-algal symbioses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actiniidae</span> Family of sea anemones

Actiniidae is the largest family of sea anemones, to which most common, temperate, shore species belong. Most members of this family do not participate in symbioses with fishes. Three exceptions are the bubble-tip anemone, snakelocks anemone and Urticina piscivora.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoantharia</span> Order of hexacorallians with marginal tentacles

Zoanthids are an order of cnidarians commonly found in coral reefs, the deep sea and many other marine environments around the world. These animals come in a variety of different colonizing formations and in numerous different colors. They can be found as individual polyps, attached by a fleshy stolon or a mat that can be created from small pieces of sediment, sand and rock. The term "zoanthid" refers to all animals within this order Zoantharia, and should not be confused with "Zoanthus", which is one genus within Zoantharia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copperband butterflyfish</span> Species of fish

The copperband butterflyfish, also known as the beaked coral fish, is found in reefs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This butterflyfish is one of the three species that make up the genus Chelmon and all have long beaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea anemone</span> Marine animals of the order Actiniaria

Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates of the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle.

<i>Tubastraea</i> Genus of corals

Tubastraea, also known as sun coral or sun polyps, is a genus of coral in the phylum Cnidaria. It is a cup coral in the family Dendrophylliidae.

Rhodactis howesii is a species of marine cnidarian in the order Corallimorpharia, a sea anemone-like corallimorph found on reefs in tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the green fuzzy mushroom, elephant ear mushroom coral, giant anemone, giant mushroom anemone and giant cup mushroom. This species is toxic when eaten raw and ingestion can cause fatal poisoning.

<i>Corynactis</i> Genus of sea anemones

Corynactis is a genus of colonial anthozoans similar in appearance to sea anemones and in body format to scleractinian stony corals. These animals are cnidarians in the family Corallimorphidae. Large unidentified polyps of this genus feed on the crown-of-thorns seastar Acanthaster planci and may help control the crown-of-thorns population.

<i>Ricordea florida</i> Species of coral

Ricordea florida is a species of coral of the family Ricordeidae and the order Corallimorpharia, whose members are also called false corals. Due to their bright pigmentation and fluorescence under ultraviolet light, Ricordea florida is very popular in hobby saltwater aquariums.

<i>Palythoa</i> Genus of corals

Palythoa is a genus of anthozoans in the order Zoantharia.

Aiptasia diaphana, commonly known as the yellow aiptasia or glasrose, is a species of sea anemone native to shallow waters in the temperate eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It has been introduced into the Red Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aiptasiidae</span> Family of sea anemones

Aiptasiidae is a family of sea anemones, comprising the following genera:

Cycloseris curvata is a species of disc coral in the family Fungiidae. Cyclosteris curvata is a mostly solitary free living scleractinian disc coral found in the indo-pacific region. They grow on soft substrates and are known to tolerate turbid waters. Like other anthozoan corals they lack a medusa stage characteristic of other cnidarians. They have been observed as both green and brown in color in the field.

<i>Exaiptasia</i> Genus of sea anemones

Exaiptasia is a genus of sea anemone in the family Aiptasiidae, native to shallow waters in the temperate western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is monotypic with a single species, Exaiptasia diaphana, and commonly known as the brown anemone, glass anemone, pale anemone, or simply as Aiptasia.

<i>Aiptasia mutabilis</i> Species of sea anemone

Aiptasia mutabilis, also known as the trumpet anemone, rock anemone, and glass anemone, is a species of anemone typically found attached to substrates in cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Its unique trumpet shape gives it its common name and it can grow to be 12 cm, having a column between 3 and 6 cm in size. Like many cnidarians, they rely on nematocysts for protection and to capture prey. They are not difficult to care for, and can be kept in a home aquarium, although due to their speed of reproduction, can quickly become overpopulated.

References

  1. ↑ Gosse P. H. (1858). Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (3)1: 416.
  2. ↑ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Aiptasia Gosse, 1858". marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  3. 1 2 3 4 William Berg. "Aiptasia Anemones - Reef Aquarium" . Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 Grawunder, Désirée; Hambleton, Elizabeth A.; Bucher, Madeline; Wolfowicz, Iliona; Bechtoldt, Natascha; Guse, Annika (26 October 2015). "Induction of Gametogenesis in the Cnidarian Endosymbiosis Model Aiptasia sp". Scientific Reports. 5: 15677. doi:10.1038/srep15677. PMID   26498008. S2CID   13995288.
  5. ↑ Schlesinger A, Kramarsky-Winter E, Rosenfeld H, Armoza-Zvoloni R, Loya Y (2010). "Sexual Plasticity and Self-Fertilization in the Sea Anemone Aiptasia diaphana". PLOS ONE. 5 (7): e11874. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...511874S. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011874 . PMC   2912375 . PMID   20686700.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.