Heat stress does not induce wasting symptoms in the giant California sea cucumber ( Apostichopus californicus )

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) Vol. 11; p. e14548
• Main Authors: Dawson Taylor, Declan, Farr, Jonathan J, Lim, Em G, Fleet, Jenna L, Smith Wuitchik, Sara J, Wuitchik, Daniel M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States PeerJ. Ltd 07.02.2023; PeerJ, Inc; PeerJ Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Apostichopus californicus; British Columbia; California; Canada; Climate change; Disease; Echinoderm; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Epidemics; Experiments; Health aspects; Heat; Heat stress; Heat-Shock Response; High temperature; Humans; Marine Biology; Marine ecosystems; Medical treatment; Mortality; Posture; Sea cucumber; Sea Cucumbers; Skin; Skin diseases; Skin lesions; Skin ulceration syndrome; Spawning; Temperature; Temperature effects; Thermal stress; Virulence; Wasting disease; Zoology; British Columbia; California; Canada; United States > US; British Columbia Canada; Pacific Ocean; Nanoose Bay; Strait of Georgia; Thermal stress; Sea cucumber; Wasting disease; Skin ulceration syndrome; Echinoderm
• ISSN: 2167-8359; 2167-8359
• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14548

Oceanic heatwaves have significant impacts on disease dynamics in marine ecosystems. Following an extreme heatwave in Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, Canada, a severe sea cucumber wasting event occurred that resulted in the mass mortality of Here, we sought to determine if heat stress in isolation could trigger wasting symptoms in . We exposed sea cucumbers to (i) a simulated marine heatwave (22 °C), (ii) an elevated temperature treatment (17 °C), or (iii) control conditions (12 °C). We measured the presence of skin lesions, mortality, posture maintenance, antipredator defences, spawning, and organ evisceration during the 79-hour thermal exposure, as well as 7-days post-exposure. Both the 22 °C and 17 °C treatments elicited stress responses where individuals exhibited a reduced ability to maintain posture and an increase in stress spawning. The 22 °C heatwave was particularly stressful, as it was the only treatment where mortality was observed. However, none of the treatments induced wasting symptoms as observed in the Nanoose Bay event. This study provides evidence that sea cucumber wasting may not be triggered by heat stress in isolation, leaving the cause of the mass mortality event observed in Nanoose unknown.