Photosynthetic performance of giant clams, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa, Red Sea
Carin Jantzen
Christian Wild
Mohammed El-Zibdah
Hilly Ann Roa-Quiaoit
Christoph Haacke
Claudio Richter
Abstract
Two species of giant clams, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa, coexist in the Red Sea, but exhibit distinctly different depth distributions: T. maxima mostly occurs in shallow waters (reef flat and edge), while T. squamosa may occur down to the lower fore-reef slope. Giant clams have been described as mixotrophic, capable of both filter-feeding and photosynthesis due to algal symbionts (zooxanthellae), therefore, observed depth preferences were investigated in relation to possible differences in autotrophy vs. heterotrophy. This study was conducted from April to June 2004, at the reef near the Marine Science Station, Aqaba, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, and in May 2007, at a reef near Dahab, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. In situ measurements using a submersible pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer (Diving PAM), revealed no significant differences in effective PSII quantum yield (ΔF/Fm′) and relative electron transport rates (ETR) between the two species; but rapid light curves (ETR vs. light, photosynthetically active irradiance, PAR) showed significant differences in maximum photosynthetic rates (ETRmax), with 20% higher values in T. maxima. Chamber incubations displayed higher net and gross oxygen production by T. maxima (88.0 and 120.3 μmol O2 cm−2 mantle area day−1) than T. squamosa (56.7 and 84.8 μmol O2 cm−2 mantle area day−1); even under shading conditions (simulated depth of 20 m) T. maxima still achieved 93% of the surface gross O2 production, whereas T. squamosa reached only 44%. A correlation was found between ETR and net photosynthesis measured as oxygen production (T. maxima: R 2 = 0.53; T. squamosa: R 2 = 0.61). Calculated compensation depth (CD) (gross photosynthesis equals respiration) in T. maxima (16 m) matches the maximum depth of occurrence in this study (17 m). By contrast, the CD of T. squamosa (9 m) was much shallower than the maximum vertical range (42 m). Findings suggest T. maxima is a strict functional photoautotroph limited by light, whereas T. squamosa is a mixotroph whose photoautotrophic range is extended by heterotrophy.
Jantzen C., Wild C., El-Zibdah M., Roa-Quiaoit H.A., Haacke C. and Richter C. (2008) Photosynthetic performance of giant clams, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa, Red Sea. Marine Biology 155(2): 211-221. 10.1007/s00227-008-1019-7
@article{Jantzen2008,
Title = {Photosynthetic performance of giant clams, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa, Red Sea},
Author = {Jantzen, Carin and Wild, Christian and El-Zibdah, Mohammed and Roa-Quiaoit, Hilly Ann and Haacke, Christoph and Richter, Claudio},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Marine Biology},
Year = {2008},
Pages = {211-221},
Volume = {155},
Doi = {10.1007/s00227-008-1019-7},
Abstract = {Two species of giant clams, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa, coexist in the Red Sea, but exhibit distinctly different depth distributions: T. maxima mostly occurs in shallow waters (reef flat and edge), while T. squamosa may occur down to the lower fore-reef slope. Giant clams have been described as mixotrophic, capable of both filter-feeding and photosynthesis due to algal symbionts (zooxanthellae), therefore, observed depth preferences were investigated in relation to possible differences in autotrophy vs. heterotrophy. This study was conducted from April to June 2004, at the reef near the Marine Science Station, Aqaba, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, and in May 2007, at a reef near Dahab, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. In situ measurements using a submersible pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer (Diving PAM), revealed no significant differences in effective PSII quantum yield (ΔF/Fm′) and relative electron transport rates (ETR) between the two species; but rapid light curves (ETR vs. light, photosynthetically active irradiance, PAR) showed significant differences in maximum photosynthetic rates (ETRmax), with 20% higher values in T. maxima. Chamber incubations displayed higher net and gross oxygen production by T. maxima (88.0 and 120.3 μmol O2 cm−2 mantle area day−1) than T. squamosa (56.7 and 84.8 μmol O2 cm−2 mantle area day−1); even under shading conditions (simulated depth of 20 m) T. maxima still achieved 93% of the surface gross O2 production, whereas T. squamosa reached only 44%. A correlation was found between ETR and net photosynthesis measured as oxygen production (T. maxima: R 2 = 0.53; T. squamosa: R 2 = 0.61). Calculated compensation depth (CD) (gross photosynthesis equals respiration) in T. maxima (16 m) matches the maximum depth of occurrence in this study (17 m). By contrast, the CD of T. squamosa (9 m) was much shallower than the maximum vertical range (42 m). Findings suggest T. maxima is a strict functional photoautotroph limited by light, whereas T. squamosa is a mixotroph whose photoautotrophic range is extended by heterotrophy.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Jantzen, Carin
AU - Wild, Christian
AU - El-Zibdah, Mohammed
AU - Roa-Quiaoit, Hilly Ann
AU - Haacke, Christoph
AU - Richter, Claudio
TI - Photosynthetic performance of giant clams, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa, Red Sea
T2 - Marine Biology
PY - 2008
SP - 211-221
VL - 155
DO - 10.1007/s00227-008-1019-7
AB - Two species of giant clams, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa, coexist in the Red Sea, but exhibit distinctly different depth distributions: T. maxima mostly occurs in shallow waters (reef flat and edge), while T. squamosa may occur down to the lower fore-reef slope. Giant clams have been described as mixotrophic, capable of both filter-feeding and photosynthesis due to algal symbionts (zooxanthellae), therefore, observed depth preferences were investigated in relation to possible differences in autotrophy vs. heterotrophy. This study was conducted from April to June 2004, at the reef near the Marine Science Station, Aqaba, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, and in May 2007, at a reef near Dahab, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. In situ measurements using a submersible pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer (Diving PAM), revealed no significant differences in effective PSII quantum yield (ΔF/Fm′) and relative electron transport rates (ETR) between the two species; but rapid light curves (ETR vs. light, photosynthetically active irradiance, PAR) showed significant differences in maximum photosynthetic rates (ETRmax), with 20% higher values in T. maxima. Chamber incubations displayed higher net and gross oxygen production by T. maxima (88.0 and 120.3 μmol O2 cm−2 mantle area day−1) than T. squamosa (56.7 and 84.8 μmol O2 cm−2 mantle area day−1); even under shading conditions (simulated depth of 20 m) T. maxima still achieved 93% of the surface gross O2 production, whereas T. squamosa reached only 44%. A correlation was found between ETR and net photosynthesis measured as oxygen production (T. maxima: R 2 = 0.53; T. squamosa: R 2 = 0.61). Calculated compensation depth (CD) (gross photosynthesis equals respiration) in T. maxima (16 m) matches the maximum depth of occurrence in this study (17 m). By contrast, the CD of T. squamosa (9 m) was much shallower than the maximum vertical range (42 m). Findings suggest T. maxima is a strict functional photoautotroph limited by light, whereas T. squamosa is a mixotroph whose photoautotrophic range is extended by heterotrophy.
ER -
