Effects of long-term elevated temperature on covering, sheltering and righting behaviors of the sea urchinStrongylocentrotus intermedius

• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3122
• Publication Date: 2017-03-22T09:09:28Z
• Authors: Lisheng Zhang; Lingling Zhang; Dongtao Shi; Jing Wei; Yaqing Chang; Chong Zhao
• Keywords: Marine ecosystem

Increases in ocean temperature due to climate change are predicted the behaviors of marine invertebrates. Altered keystone ecosystem engineers such as echinoderms will have consequences for fitness individuals, which expected flow on local ecosystem. Relatively few studies investigated behavioral responses long-term elevated temperature. We effects exposure (∼31 weeks) (∼3 °C above ambient water temperature) covering, sheltering and righting sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius. Long-term showed different three behaviors. It significantly decreased covering behavior, including both behavior reaction (time first covering) ability (number covered urchins number shells used covering). Conversely, increased behavior. Righting response S. intermedius was not between treatments. The results provide new information into warming.