ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Fisheries, Aquaculture and Living Resources
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1493892
Behavioral, Physiological and Genetic Responses of the Yesso scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis to the predation of Sea Star
Provisionally accepted
- Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
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Predation is a major source of mortality in bottom -cultured scallops. To investigate the behavioral, physiological, and molecular mechanisms underlying predator -induced stress responses, an integrative approach was employed on Yesso scallops (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) exposed to the northern Pacific sea star (Asterias amurensis) by combining shell clap behavior quantification, enzyme activity assays, and transcriptomic analysis. Shell clap behavior, recorded using a force gauge system, revealed significantly increased contraction force and frequency following predator exposure, particularly in small and medium-sized scallops. Enzyme assays indicated significant changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), arginine kinase (AK), and octopine dehydrogenase (ODH) across different tissues and size groups, with the most pronounced responses observed in medium -sized individuals. Transcriptomic profiling of adductor muscle in this group identified 514 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 20 remained significant after P -value correction. These included genes such as paramyosin, myosin heavy chain, and Krüppel -like factors, involved in muscle structure, oxidative stress response, and amino acid metabolism. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed significant metabolic shifts associated with oxidative stress and energy regulation. These findings demonstrate coordinated behavioral and molecular adaptations to predator stress in M. yessoensis and provide a foundation for improving predator management and selective breeding strategies in scallop aquaculture.
Keywords: Yesso scallop, Mizuhopecten yessoensis, Northern Pacific sea star, Asterias Amurensis, shell clap behavior, enzyme activity, transcriptome analysis
Received: 09 Sep 2024; Accepted: 29 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Li, Li, Wang, Mao, Tian, CHANG and Lin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xuetao Li, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
Yaqing CHANG, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, China
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