Pacific oyster (M.gigas) larvae can detect chemical and physical signals in their environment, capable of inducing settlement and metamorphosis. They use these cues to find environments to settle in, forming gregarious colonies, oyster reefs that provide benefits for the surrounding ecosystem.
Very little is known about cue effects on oyster larvae, but we aim to see how their settlement/metamorphosis behaviour is affected by combinations of positive and negative cues. Larvae exhibited a clear preference for positive cues, shown by a higher settlement rate compared to negative cues. Surprisingly, larvae displayed a positive settlement and metamorphosing behaviour when subjected to our predator cue (Asterias rubens). We also found an additive effect for biofilm and conspecific cues, both of which larvae use to select for favourable habitats. A majority of larvae actively avoided settling in our control and sterilised treatments, even with the addition of positive cues. We saw a clear decision/reaction process by the larvae, trying to select the most favourable environment to settle and metamorphose in, based on the cues available.
Our results demonstrate the importance of analysing cue combinations, hopefully leading to potential future applications in the fields of aquaculture and reef creation and restoration.
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