Maintenance of nematocyst toxicity of Entacmaea quadricolor after light-induced

bleaching.

Introduction
Cnidarians are recognized as one of the most venomous animals on the planet, the production of
venom is rampant in this phylum as a result of their sessility. They are built with nematocysts --specialized
stinging cells--that deliver their tenacious venom. This ability protects them from predatory threats and
food acquisition. Aside from predation, cnidarians are gravely threatened by the inevitable impacts of
climate change like other marine species. Corals and sea anemones, for instance, are exposed to
bleaching induced by the rapid ranges in climate. Bleaching in sea anemones occurs when their
relationship with symbiotic photosynthetic algae (zooxanthellae) breaks down due to diverse
environmental stressors. Upon losing their algal symbionts, they relatively lose their internal food supply
leading to a decrease in energy production. Hindered growth follows and the decrease in venom
production, as well as, number of nematocysts, are assumed to decrease likewise because it requires a
relative amount of energy from the animal (Hoepener, et al.,2019).

The species of interest in this study is Entacmaea quadricolor , commonly known as blue-tip
anemone, a widely distributed representative of Class of Anthozoa, which often thrives in coral reef
systems and hosts diverse species of minute fishes and symbiotic algae(Aditya et al., 2019). Amidst the
diversity of the cnidarian phylum, sea anemones share similar morphological features like the presence of
persisting layers of ectoderm and endoderm delineated by the mesoglea(Jouiaei et al., 2015). Relatively,
the highly potent group II peptide, and type III neurotoxic compounds, prevalent to many host anemone
species are carried by the venom of E. quadricolor. This study aims to determine whether bleaching
reduces the amount of venom produced or the quality of the venom by examining the effect that bleaching
has on venom under a controlled laboratory environment. In particular, this study intends to assess venom
quality and quantity through various determinants such as lethality and haemolysis evaluation and
synthesis of nematocyst after gradual bleaching. In addition, this study emphasizes the need to determine
the influence of anthropogenic disturbance and climate change on anemones’ nematocysts production
and toxicity and attempts to elucidate the ecological significance of continued maintenance of toxicity in
anemones.

The tantalizing response of the sea anemones to the extreme environment increases the
possibility of their survival in harsher conditions induced by climate change or human intervention. The
resilience exhibited by the anemones particularly contributes to the increased survival of dependent
anemonefish and the propagation of photosynthetic algae through their three-way symbiosis. It is truly a
significant triumph for the reef ecosystem.

References:
Aditya, F., Patria, M. P., & Soedjiarti, T. (2019). Feeding behaviour of bubble-tip anemones Entacmaea
quadricolor (Leuckart, 1828). IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 241,
012040. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/241/1/012040

Hoepner, C. M., Abbott, C. A., & Burke Da Silva, K. (2019). The Ecological Importance of Toxicity: Sea
Anemones Maintain Toxic Defence When Bleached. Toxins, 11(5), 266.
https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins11050266

Jouiaei, M., Yanagihara, A., Madio, B., Nevalainen, T., Alewood, P., & Fry, B. (2015). Ancient Venom
Systems: A Review on Cnidaria Toxins. Toxins, 7(6), 2251–2271.
https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins706225