• Search Research Projects
  • Search Researchers
  • How to Use
  1. Back to previous page

Fecal pellets of tridacnine clams may fundamentally support coral-reef ecosystem

Research Project

Project/Area Number 18K19232
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section Medium-sized Section 40:Forestry and forest products science, applied aquatic science, and related fields
Research InstitutionHiroshima University

Principal Investigator

Koike Kazuhiko  広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(生), 教授 (30265722)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) 山下 洋  国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構, 西海区水産研究所, 主任研究員 (00583147)
Project Period (FY) 2018-06-29 – 2020-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
Budget Amount *help
¥6,110,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,410,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,860,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥660,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥3,250,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥750,000)
Keywordsサンゴ礁 / 褐虫藻 / サンゴ / シャコガイ / 共生 / 生物多様性 / ウスエダミドリイシ / 共生ソース / Symbiodinium / Cladocopium / ゾーザンテラ
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Many of animals inhabiting around coral-reefs, including coral itself, have symbiotic relationship with a microalga called zooxanthella. Most of them rarely inherit this symbiont from their parents but must acquire it from surrounding waters or sediments. Consequently, zooxanthella must exist in the environment, which might be originated from giant clam, a bivalve shellfish also possessing zooxanthella in its body. In fact, there are numerous live zooxanthella cells in the fecal pellets expelled from giant clams. Under this research, the fecal pellets were given to larvae of giant clams or corals, and the infection of zooxanthella cells via the fecal pellets were observed. In the result, both animal larvae could establish symbiosis with the zooxanthella, which supports our hypothesis.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

サンゴ礁を構成するサンゴや様々な生物には,その共生藻である褐虫藻が必要である。本研究によって,シャコガイの糞がシャコガイ幼生のみならずサンゴ幼生等へ褐虫藻を運ぶ役割を担っていることが示唆された。様々な生物が褐虫藻を与え,受け取り,サンゴ礁を形作っているとすれば,多様な生物が共存するサンゴ礁の姿そのものを表しているように思える。また,サンゴにとってもシャコガイが褐虫藻供給源として必要であれば,サンゴのみに着目して考えられてきたサンゴ礁の再生も再考の余地がある。

Report

(3 results)
  • 2019 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2018 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (13 results)

All 2020 2019 2018 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (2 results) Journal Article (1 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Peer Reviewed: 1 results,  Open Access: 1 results) Presentation (7 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results,  Invited: 3 results) Remarks (3 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] National University of Singapore(シンガポール)

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] National University of Singapore(シンガポール)

    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Study on expelled but viable zooxanthellae from giant clams, with an emphasis on their potential as subsequent symbiont sources2019

    • Author(s)
      Morishima Shin-Ya、Yamashita Hiroshi、O-hara Shizuka、Nakamura Yuji、Quek Vanessa ZhiQin、Yamauchi Momo、Koike Kazuhiko
    • Journal Title

      PLOS ONE

      Volume: 14 Issue: 7 Pages: e0220141-e0220141

    • DOI

      10.1371/journal.pone.0220141

    • NAID

      120006731227

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Fecal pellets of giant clams, as vectors to transport zooxanthellae2020

    • Author(s)
      Masami Umeki, Shinya Morishima, Yuji Nakamura, Hiroshi Yamashita, Suzuki Go, Kazuhiko Koike
    • Organizer
      Ocean Science Meeting
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] シャコガイの糞は褐虫藻をサンゴに運ぶ2019

    • Author(s)
      梅木雅美,山下 洋,鈴木 豪,小池一彦
    • Organizer
      日本サンゴ礁学会 第22回大会
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] 海洋生態系を支える微細藻類2019

    • Author(s)
      小池一彦
    • Organizer
      広島大学統合生命科学研究科発足記念シンポジウム
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] サンゴ礁生態系におけるシャコガイ類の役割2019

    • Author(s)
      山下 洋,梅木雅美,森島慎也,中村勇次,小池一彦
    • Organizer
      第4回おきなわマリンサイエンスワークショップ
    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] サンゴ幼生の蛍光と褐虫藻の走光性は両者の初期共生成立に関与するか2018

    • Author(s)
      山下洋,鈴木豪,新里宙也,神保充,小池一彦
    • Organizer
      第21回日本サンゴ礁学会大会
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] シャコガイ類の糞に含まれる褐虫藻に関する研究2018

    • Author(s)
      森島慎也,山内モモ,Quek Z. Vanessa,山下洋,高津戸啓介,小池一彦
    • Organizer
      第21回日本サンゴ礁学会大会
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Zooxanthellae as the foundations of coral reef communities2018

    • Author(s)
      Kazuhiko Koike
    • Organizer
      The 1st International Conference on Fisheries and Marine (InCoFIMS)
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
  • [Remarks] Giant Clams’ Poop Hosts Symbiotic Algae

    • URL

      https://www.asianscientist.com/2019/09/in-the-lab/giant-clam-poop-algae/

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Remarks] The Surprising Merit of Giant Clam Feces

    • URL

      https://www.ecomagazine.com/news/science/the-surprising-merit-of-giant-clam-feces

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report
  • [Remarks] Giant Clams Spread Their Symbiotic Algae

    • URL

      https://www.hakaimagazine.com/news/giant-clams-spread-their-symbiotic-algae-through-their-poop/

    • Related Report
      2019 Annual Research Report

URL: 

Published: 2018-07-25   Modified: 2021-02-19  

Information User Guide FAQ News Terms of Use Attribution of KAKENHI

Powered by NII kakenhi