Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic Association

Adaptive movement in response to individual interactions represents a fundamental evolutionary solution found by both unicellular organisms and metazoans to avoid predators, search for resources or conspecifics for mating, and engage in other collaborative endeavors. Displacement processes are known...

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Main Authors: Yonara Garcia, Felipe M. Neves, Flavio R. Rusch, Leandro T. De La Cruz, Marina E. Wosniack, J. Rudi Strickler, Marcos G. E. da Luz, Rubens M. Lopes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Fluids
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/9/12/283
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author Yonara Garcia
Felipe M. Neves
Flavio R. Rusch
Leandro T. De La Cruz
Marina E. Wosniack
J. Rudi Strickler
Marcos G. E. da Luz
Rubens M. Lopes
author_facet Yonara Garcia
Felipe M. Neves
Flavio R. Rusch
Leandro T. De La Cruz
Marina E. Wosniack
J. Rudi Strickler
Marcos G. E. da Luz
Rubens M. Lopes
author_sort Yonara Garcia
collection DOAJ
description Adaptive movement in response to individual interactions represents a fundamental evolutionary solution found by both unicellular organisms and metazoans to avoid predators, search for resources or conspecifics for mating, and engage in other collaborative endeavors. Displacement processes are known to affect interspecific relationships, especially when linked to foraging strategies. Various displacement phenomena occur in marine plankton, ranging from the large-scale diel vertical migration of zooplankton to microscale interactions around microalgal cells. Among these symbiotic interactions, collaboration between the centric diatom <i>Chaetoceros coarctatus</i> and the peritrich ciliate <i>Vorticella oceanica</i> is widely known and has been recorded in several studies. Here, using 2D and 3D tracking records, we describe the movement patterns of the non-motile, chain-forming diatoms (<i>C. coarctatus</i>) carried by epibiotic ciliates (<i>V. oceanica</i>). The reported data on the <i>Chaetoceros–Vorticella</i> association illustrated the consortium’s ability to generate distinct motility patterns. We established that the currents generated by the attached ciliates, along with the variability in the contraction and relaxation of ciliate stalks in response to food concentration, resulted in three types of trajectories for the consortium. The characteristics of these distinct paths were determined using robust statistical methods, indicating that the different displacement behaviors allowed the consortium to adequately explore distributed resources and remain within the food-rich layers provided in the experimental containers. A simple mechanical–stochastic model was successfully applied to simulate the observed displacement patterns, further supporting the proposed mechanisms of collective response to the environment.
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spelling doaj-art-6789e048886547fcaf8711522171abbd2025-08-20T02:50:53ZengMDPI AGFluids2311-55212024-11-0191228310.3390/fluids9120283Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic AssociationYonara Garcia0Felipe M. Neves1Flavio R. Rusch2Leandro T. De La Cruz3Marina E. Wosniack4J. Rudi Strickler5Marcos G. E. da Luz6Rubens M. Lopes7Laboratory of Plankton Systems (LAPS), Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-120, SP, BrazilLaboratory of Plankton Systems (LAPS), Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-120, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81531-980, PR, BrazilLaboratory of Plankton Systems (LAPS), Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-120, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81531-980, PR, BrazilDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53204, USADepartamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81531-980, PR, BrazilLaboratory of Plankton Systems (LAPS), Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-120, SP, BrazilAdaptive movement in response to individual interactions represents a fundamental evolutionary solution found by both unicellular organisms and metazoans to avoid predators, search for resources or conspecifics for mating, and engage in other collaborative endeavors. Displacement processes are known to affect interspecific relationships, especially when linked to foraging strategies. Various displacement phenomena occur in marine plankton, ranging from the large-scale diel vertical migration of zooplankton to microscale interactions around microalgal cells. Among these symbiotic interactions, collaboration between the centric diatom <i>Chaetoceros coarctatus</i> and the peritrich ciliate <i>Vorticella oceanica</i> is widely known and has been recorded in several studies. Here, using 2D and 3D tracking records, we describe the movement patterns of the non-motile, chain-forming diatoms (<i>C. coarctatus</i>) carried by epibiotic ciliates (<i>V. oceanica</i>). The reported data on the <i>Chaetoceros–Vorticella</i> association illustrated the consortium’s ability to generate distinct motility patterns. We established that the currents generated by the attached ciliates, along with the variability in the contraction and relaxation of ciliate stalks in response to food concentration, resulted in three types of trajectories for the consortium. The characteristics of these distinct paths were determined using robust statistical methods, indicating that the different displacement behaviors allowed the consortium to adequately explore distributed resources and remain within the food-rich layers provided in the experimental containers. A simple mechanical–stochastic model was successfully applied to simulate the observed displacement patterns, further supporting the proposed mechanisms of collective response to the environment.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/9/12/283diatom–ciliate symbiosismutualismco-evolutiondisplacement behaviormovement ecology
spellingShingle Yonara Garcia
Felipe M. Neves
Flavio R. Rusch
Leandro T. De La Cruz
Marina E. Wosniack
J. Rudi Strickler
Marcos G. E. da Luz
Rubens M. Lopes
Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic Association
Fluids
diatom–ciliate symbiosis
mutualism
co-evolution
displacement behavior
movement ecology
title Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic Association
title_full Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic Association
title_fullStr Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic Association
title_full_unstemmed Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic Association
title_short Active Displacement of a Unique Diatom–Ciliate Symbiotic Association
title_sort active displacement of a unique diatom ciliate symbiotic association
topic diatom–ciliate symbiosis
mutualism
co-evolution
displacement behavior
movement ecology
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/9/12/283
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