Every Rule Has an Exception: a Cheater in the Community-Wide Mutualism in Antarctic Seaweed Forests

Synopsis Dense macroalgal forests on the Western Antarctic Peninsula serve important ecological roles both in terms of considerable biomass for primary production as well as in being ecosystem engineers. Their function within the Antarctic ecosystem has been described as a crucial member of a commun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Integrative and Comparative Biology
Main Authors: Heiser, Sabrina, Amsler, Charles D, McClintock, James B, Shilling, Andrew J, Baker, Bill J
Other Authors: National Science Foundation Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Program
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2020
Subjects:
Plant Science
Animal Science and Zoology
Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
The Antarctic
Antarc*
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icb/icaa058
http://academic.oup.com/icb/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/icb/icaa058/33509745/icaa058.pdf
http://academic.oup.com/icb/article-pdf/60/6/1358/34926869/icaa058.pdf
Description
Summary:Synopsis Dense macroalgal forests on the Western Antarctic Peninsula serve important ecological roles both in terms of considerable biomass for primary production as well as in being ecosystem engineers. Their function within the Antarctic ecosystem has been described as a crucial member of a community-wide mutualism which benefits macroalgal species and dense assemblages of associated amphipod grazers. However, there is a cheater within the system that can feed on one of the most highly chemically defended macroalgal hosts. The amphipod Paradexamine fissicauda has been found to readily consume the finely branched red macroalga Plocamium cartilagineum. This amphipod grazer not only feeds on its host, but also appears to sequester its host’s chemical defenses for its own utilization. This review summarizes what we know about both of these exceptions to the community-wide mutualism.

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