The Bioenergetics of Symbiotic Sea Anemones (Anthozoa: Actiniaria)
Symbiosis, 5 (1988) 103-142 103 Balaban Publishers, Philadelphia/Rehovot Review article The Bioenergetics of Symbiotic Sea Anemones (Anthozoa: Actiniaria) R. GRANT STEEN* Division of NMR Research, Department of Radiology The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Tel. {301} 955-7492 Received November 19, 1987; Accepted March 17, 1988 Abstract The bioenergetics of sea anemones and the interactions between anemones and symbiotic zooxanthellae are reviewed from the standpoint of costs and benefits to the anemone. Energy input to the anemone includes phagotrophy (consumption of particulate organic material), saprotrophy (uptake of dis• solved organic material), and autotrophy (photosynthesis by zooxanthellae). Energy output includes respiration, growth and storage, reproduction, and export of carbon. Interactions between host and symbiont affect virtually all of these processes and the energetic costs of symbiosis to the host should not be ignored. Anemones appear to benefit from translocated algal photosynthate as anemones starved in light lose weight less rapidly than anemones starved in darkness. However oxygen production during algal photosynthesis may also be important in determining the balance between aerobic and anaerobic res• piration by the host. Furthermore, translocation of algal photosynthate may not equate with benefit to the host: much photosynthetic carbon is lost from the host and the remaining carbon may not contribute substantially to host bioenergetic status. The net impact of zooxanthellae on the host energy bud• get under field conditions is largely unknown. Keywords: Bioenergetics, symbiosis, sea anemone, photosynthesis "Present address: Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA 0334-5114/88/$03.00 © 1988 Balaban Publishers 104 R.G.
[Show full text]