DOI: 10.5061/dryad.rp4q6
title: Data from: Molecular assessment of heterotrophy and prey digestion in zooxanthellate cnidarians

description: Zooxanthellate cnidarians are trophically complex, relying on both
 autotrophy and heterotrophy. Although several aspects of heterotrophy have
 been studied in these organisms, information linking prey capture with
 digestion is still missing. We used prey-specific PCR-based tools to
 assess feeding and prey digestion of two zooxanthellate cnidarians - the
 tropical sea anemone Aiptasia sp. and the scleractinian coral Oculina
 arbuscula. Prey DNA disappeared rapidly for the initial one to three days,
 whereas complete digestion of prey DNA required up to ten days in O.
 arbuscula and five or size days in Aiptasia sp. depending on prey species.
 These digestion times are considerably longer than previously reported
 from microscopy-based examination of zooxanthellate cnidarians and prey
 DNA breakdown in other marine invertebrates, but similar to prey DNA
 breakdown reported from terrestrial invertebrates such as heteroptera and
 spiders. Deprivation of external prey induced increased digestion rates
 during the first days after feeding in O. arbuscula, but after six days of
 digestion there were no differences in the remaining prey levels in fed
 and unfed corals. This study indicates that prey digestion by symbiotic
 corals may be slower than previously reported and varies with the type of
 prey, the cnidarian species and it’s feeding history. These observations
 have important implications for bioenergetic and trophodynamic studies on
 zooxanthellate cnidarians.
description: Artemia prey DNA
 breakdown ingested by Aiptasia sp.Prey DNA breakdown based
 on the amplification of different sizes of DNA fragments of Artemia sp.
 ingested by Aiptasia sp. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 days after
 feeding.Aiptasia_Artemia_DNAbreakdown.xlsxBrachionus plicatilis prey DNA breakdown ingested by Aiptasia sp.Prey DNA breakdown based on the amplification of different sizes of DNA fragments of Brachionus plicatilis ingested by Aiptasia sp. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 days after feeding.Aiptasia_Bplicatilis_DNAbreakdown.xlsxArtemia prey DNA breakdown ingested by Oculina arbusculaPrey DNA breakdown based on the amplification of different sizes of DNA fragments of Artemia sp. ingested by Oculina arbuscula 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days after feeding.Oarbuscula_Artemia_DNAbreakdown.xlsxBrachionus plicatilis prey DNA breakdown ingested by Oculina arbusculaPrey DNA breakdown based on the amplification of different sizes of DNA fragments of Brachionus plicatilis ingested by Oculina arbuscula 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days after feedingOarbuscula_Bplicatilis_DNAbreakdown.xlsxDigestion time of Aiptasia sp. fed Artemia sp. based on the prey DNA content estimated by qPCRConcentration of Artemia sp. prey DNA ingested by Aiptasia sp. after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 days. Prey DNA concentration is shown for different amplicon sizes amplified with different primer sets.Aiptasia_Artemia_PreyDigestion.xlsxDigestion time of Aiptasia sp. fed Brachionus plicatilis based on the prey DNA content estimated by qPCRConcentration of Brachionus plicatilis prey DNA ingested by Aiptasia sp. after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 days. Prey DNA concentration is shown for different amplicon sizes amplified with different primer sets.Aiptasia_Bplicatilis_PreyDigestion.xlsxDigestion time of Oculina arbuscula fed Artemia sp. based on the prey DNA content estimated by qPCRConcentration of Artemia sp. prey DNA ingested by Oculina arbuscula after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days. Prey DNA concentration is shown for different amplicon sizes amplified with different primer sets.Oarbuscula_Artemia_PreyDigestion.xlsxDigestion time of Oculina arbuscula fed Brachionus plicatilis based on the prey DNA content estimated by qPCRConcentration of Brachionus plicatilis prey DNA ingested by Oculina arbuscula after 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days. Prey DNA concentration is shown for different amplicon sizes amplified with different primer sets.Oarbuscula_Bplicatilis_PreyDigestion.xlsx