Trophic transfer of Aetokthonos hydrillicola to Northern and Banded watersnakes. Vaughn, A. K. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA, 2017. abstract bibtex Within freshwater ecosystems, invasive plant species rank among the top threats facing ecosystem function and diversity. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), a common aquatic weed, is known for degrading water quality, displacing native vegetation, homogenizing aquatic landscapes, and altering trophic dynamics. Hydrilla is also the primary host for a novel, epiphytic cyanobacteria, Aetokthonos hydrillicola (Ah), that appears broadly neurotoxic to vertebrates that consume Hydrilla. Recent evidence also suggests that toxic Ah can be transferred to predators via an intermediate consumer. We fed fish Ah-positive or Ah-negative Hydrilla and then fed those fish to Northern (Nerodia sipedon) and Banded (N. fasciata) watersnakes to determine whether the Ah neurotoxin could be transferred to a predator via its prey at a level sufficient to cause disease. We monitored snake behavior for 12 weeks. There was no difference in mean time to right between the treatment groups and snakes fed Ah-positive fish did not show any difference in tongue-flick rate compared to snakes fed Ah-negative prey. However, there was a tendency for snakes fed Ah-positive prey to show greater latency in response to repulsive cue (isopropyl alcohol), and by week 7, snakes fed Ah-positive fish became anorectic. The decline in prey consumption was greatest for the smallest snakes fed Ah-positive prey. Overall we observed some behavioral differences among snakes that consumed prey fed Ah-positive Hydrilla that were consistent with disease symptoms observed in other taxa during prior research. Ongoing histological examination will be used to confirm whether snakes are developing neurological disease as a result of exposure to Ah. If confirmed, the results would demonstrate the potential vulnerability of predatory reptiles to Hydrilla invasion and the colonization of Ah.
@phdthesis{vaughn_trophic_2017,
address = {Athens, Georgia, USA},
type = {Senior {Thesis}},
title = {Trophic transfer of {Aetokthonos} hydrillicola to {Northern} and {Banded} watersnakes},
abstract = {Within freshwater ecosystems, invasive plant species rank among the top threats facing ecosystem function and diversity. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), a common aquatic weed, is known for degrading water quality, displacing native vegetation, homogenizing aquatic landscapes, and altering trophic dynamics. Hydrilla is also the primary host for a novel, epiphytic cyanobacteria, Aetokthonos hydrillicola (Ah), that appears broadly neurotoxic to vertebrates that consume Hydrilla. Recent evidence also suggests that toxic Ah can be transferred to predators via an intermediate consumer. We fed fish Ah-positive or Ah-negative Hydrilla and then fed those fish to Northern (Nerodia sipedon) and Banded (N. fasciata) watersnakes to determine whether the Ah neurotoxin could be transferred to a predator via its prey at a level sufficient to cause disease. We monitored snake behavior for 12 weeks. There was no difference in mean time to right between the treatment groups and snakes fed Ah-positive fish did not show any difference in tongue-flick rate compared to snakes fed Ah-negative prey. However, there was a tendency for snakes fed Ah-positive prey to show greater latency in response to repulsive cue (isopropyl alcohol), and by week 7, snakes fed Ah-positive fish became anorectic. The decline in prey consumption was greatest for the smallest snakes fed Ah-positive prey. Overall we observed some behavioral differences among snakes that consumed prey fed Ah-positive Hydrilla that were consistent with disease symptoms observed in other taxa during prior research. Ongoing histological examination will be used to confirm whether snakes are developing neurological disease as a result of exposure to Ah. If confirmed, the results would demonstrate the potential vulnerability of predatory reptiles to Hydrilla invasion and the colonization of Ah.},
language = {en},
school = {University of Georgia},
author = {Vaughn, Audrey Katherine},
year = {2017},
}
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We fed fish Ah-positive or Ah-negative Hydrilla and then fed those fish to Northern (Nerodia sipedon) and Banded (N. fasciata) watersnakes to determine whether the Ah neurotoxin could be transferred to a predator via its prey at a level sufficient to cause disease. We monitored snake behavior for 12 weeks. There was no difference in mean time to right between the treatment groups and snakes fed Ah-positive fish did not show any difference in tongue-flick rate compared to snakes fed Ah-negative prey. However, there was a tendency for snakes fed Ah-positive prey to show greater latency in response to repulsive cue (isopropyl alcohol), and by week 7, snakes fed Ah-positive fish became anorectic. The decline in prey consumption was greatest for the smallest snakes fed Ah-positive prey. Overall we observed some behavioral differences among snakes that consumed prey fed Ah-positive Hydrilla that were consistent with disease symptoms observed in other taxa during prior research. Ongoing histological examination will be used to confirm whether snakes are developing neurological disease as a result of exposure to Ah. If confirmed, the results would demonstrate the potential vulnerability of predatory reptiles to Hydrilla invasion and the colonization of Ah.","language":"en","school":"University of Georgia","author":[{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Vaughn"],"firstnames":["Audrey","Katherine"],"suffixes":[]}],"year":"2017","bibtex":"@phdthesis{vaughn_trophic_2017,\n\taddress = {Athens, Georgia, USA},\n\ttype = {Senior {Thesis}},\n\ttitle = {Trophic transfer of {Aetokthonos} hydrillicola to {Northern} and {Banded} watersnakes},\n\tabstract = {Within freshwater ecosystems, invasive plant species rank among the top threats facing ecosystem function and diversity. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), a common aquatic weed, is known for degrading water quality, displacing native vegetation, homogenizing aquatic landscapes, and altering trophic dynamics. Hydrilla is also the primary host for a novel, epiphytic cyanobacteria, Aetokthonos hydrillicola (Ah), that appears broadly neurotoxic to vertebrates that consume Hydrilla. Recent evidence also suggests that toxic Ah can be transferred to predators via an intermediate consumer. We fed fish Ah-positive or Ah-negative Hydrilla and then fed those fish to Northern (Nerodia sipedon) and Banded (N. fasciata) watersnakes to determine whether the Ah neurotoxin could be transferred to a predator via its prey at a level sufficient to cause disease. We monitored snake behavior for 12 weeks. There was no difference in mean time to right between the treatment groups and snakes fed Ah-positive fish did not show any difference in tongue-flick rate compared to snakes fed Ah-negative prey. However, there was a tendency for snakes fed Ah-positive prey to show greater latency in response to repulsive cue (isopropyl alcohol), and by week 7, snakes fed Ah-positive fish became anorectic. The decline in prey consumption was greatest for the smallest snakes fed Ah-positive prey. Overall we observed some behavioral differences among snakes that consumed prey fed Ah-positive Hydrilla that were consistent with disease symptoms observed in other taxa during prior research. Ongoing histological examination will be used to confirm whether snakes are developing neurological disease as a result of exposure to Ah. If confirmed, the results would demonstrate the potential vulnerability of predatory reptiles to Hydrilla invasion and the colonization of Ah.},\n\tlanguage = {en},\n\tschool = {University of Georgia},\n\tauthor = {Vaughn, Audrey Katherine},\n\tyear = {2017},\n}\n\n\n\n","author_short":["Vaughn, A. 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