Beta
392222

Zooxanthellae Densities within the Fluted Giant Clam Tridacna squamosa (Lamarck, 1819) from the Southern Coast of Egypt’s Red Sea

Article

Last updated: 01 Jan 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

-

Abstract

Giant clams are large bivalves predominantly found in tropical and subtropical seas. They are the largest bivalves with the fastest growth rates, thanks to their symbiotic relationship with phototrophic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae). This study examined the dynamics of the symbiotic relationship between Tridacnid hosts and their dinoflagellate symbionts, as well as the environmental factors influencing this association. Zooxanthellae were extracted from the mantles of Tridacna squamosa samples monthly collected from January to December 2021 in the southern Red Sea. The mean density of zooxanthellae was calculated as the overall mean count of zooxanthellae per gram of wet weight of the T. squamosa mantle, expressed as ± SD. This density was then analyzed alongside various environmental conditions and biological characteristics of the studied clams to assess the factors influencing the density of the symbiotic zooxanthellae within T. squamosa. The study revealed that the densities of zooxanthellae ranged from 3.21 x 105 to 48.19 x 105 cells per gram of mantle, observed in July and December, respectively. Maximum density corresponded with the shortest exposure to sunlight, measured at 10 hours and 42 minutes during winter, with a mean temperature of 24.8°C. Conversely, the lowest density was associated with the longest light exposure period, recorded at 13 hours and 39 minutes in summer. These results underscore the complex nature of the symbiotic relationship between zooxanthellae and T. squamosa in the Red Sea. The interaction between environmental variables and host characteristics shapes zooxanthellae densities within these giant clams across reef ecosystems. This highlights the need for interdisciplinary research collaborations and holistic conservation efforts to maintain the delicate balance between giant clams and their symbiotic zooxanthellae in the face of ongoing environmental and anthropogenic stressors.

DOI

10.21608/ejabf.2024.392222

Keywords

Tridacna, Symbiodiniaceae, symbiosis, Temperature, Light exposure, Climate Change, Red Sea

Authors

First Name

Abdelmeneam

Last Name

et al.

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

-

Email

-

City

-

Orcid

-

Volume

28

Article Issue

6

Related Issue

51371

Issue Date

2024-11-01

Receive Date

2024-11-17

Publish Date

2024-11-01

Page Start

241

Page End

258

Print ISSN

1110-6131

Online ISSN

2536-9814

Link

https://ejabf.journals.ekb.eg/article_392222.html

Detail API

https://ejabf.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=392222

Order

14

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries

Publication Link

https://ejabf.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Zooxanthellae Densities within the Fluted Giant Clam Tridacna squamosa (Lamarck, 1819) from the Southern Coast of Egypt’s Red Sea

Details

Type

Article

Created At

23 Dec 2024