Chemical mediation of invertebrate defensive behaviors and the ability to distinguish between foraging and inactive predators

When the predatory sea star Pycnopodia helianthoides was placed upstream, the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus responded defensively by extending and opening its globiferous pedicellariae. No pedicellaria response was given in control seawater or when the sea star was downstream. The snail Tegula funebralis responded by moving up vertical surfaces when Pycnopodia helianthoides or when Pisaster ochraceus were placed upstream. When these sea stars were introduced downstream, the snail's response was not significantly different from that in control seawater. Water collected from an aquarium containing a single sea star was sufficient to trigger the response of S. purpuratus and T. funebralis; the physical presence of the sea star was not essential. This indicated that a chemical stimulus was involved, and the lack of responses when sea stars were downstream argued strongly against the possible additional involvement of visual or vibrational stimuli. S. purpuratus gave stronger pedicellaria responses to water flowing over an active Pycnopodia helianthoides than to water flowing over the same sea star when it was inactive. The significance of the ability to distinguish between actively foraging and inactive predators is discussed, and a mechanism is proposed to explain differences in the amount of stimulatory chemicals released by active and inactive sea stars.