Trophic transfer of essential elements in the clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris in the context of ocean acidification

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 11;12(4):e0174344. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174344. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Little information exists on the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on the digestive and post-digestive processes in marine fish. Here, we investigated OA impacts (Δ pH = 0.5) on the trophic transfer of select trace elements in the clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris using radiotracer techniques. Assimilation efficiencies of three essential elements (Co, Mn and Zn) as well as their other short-term and long-term kinetic parameters in juvenile clownfish were not affected by this experimental pH change. In complement, their stomach pH during digestion were not affected by the variation in seawater pH. Such observations suggest that OA impacts do not affect element assimilation in these fish. This apparent pCO2 tolerance may imply that clownfish have the ability to self-regulate pH shifts in their digestive tract, or that they can metabolically accommodate such shifts. Such results are important to accurately assess future OA impacts on diverse marine biota, as such impacts are highly species specific, complex, and may be modulated by species-specific metabolic processes.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
  • Cobalt / chemistry
  • Cobalt / metabolism
  • Eating / physiology
  • Gastric Mucosa / metabolism
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Kinetics
  • Magnesium / chemistry
  • Magnesium / metabolism
  • Manganese / chemistry
  • Manganese / metabolism
  • Oceans and Seas*
  • Perciformes / metabolism*
  • Radioisotopes / chemistry
  • Radioisotopes / metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Water / chemistry*
  • Zinc / chemistry
  • Zinc / metabolism

Substances

  • Radioisotopes
  • Water
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Cobalt
  • Manganese
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc

Grants and funding

The work was supported by funds from IAEA and USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD. The IAEA is grateful for the support provided to its Environment Laboratories by the Government of the Principality of Monaco. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.