Cross-talk between tissues is critical for intergenerational acclimation to environmental change in Acanthochromis polyacanthus.

Organisms' responses to environmental changes involve complex, coordinated responses of multiple tissues and potential parental influences. Here using a multi-tissue approach we determine how variation in parental behavioural tolerance and exposure to elevated CO influences the developmental and intergenerational molecular responses of their offspring in the coral reef fish Acanthochromis polyacanthus to future ocean acidification (OA) conditions. Gills and liver showed the highest transcriptional response to OA in juvenile fish regardless of parental OA conditioning, while the brain and liver showed the greatest intergenerational acclimation signals.

Sex-specific neurotoxicity and transgenerational effects of an emerging pollutant, tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCIPP).

The growing production and usage of flame retardants (FRs) results in their extensive environmental distribution, potentially posing a threat on both ecological and human health. Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCIPP), a commonly used FR, is commonly found in aquatic ecosystems, and aquatic organisms, including fish, may be exposed to TDCIPP during specific stages of their life cycles, or across generations. Here, we aim to identify and compare the neurotoxic effects of TDCIPP on the brains of female and male adult marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) across three generations (F0 to F3).

Parental thermal conditions affect the brain activity response to alarm cue in larval zebrafish.

Temperature is a crucial factor affecting the physiology of ectothermic animals, but exposure to elevated temperature during specific life stages and across generations may confer fish resilience through phenotypic plasticity. In this study, we investigate the effects of developmental and parental temperature on brain activity response to an olfactory cue in the larval zebrafish, . We exposed parents during reproduction and their offspring during development to control (28 °C) or elevated temperature (30 °C) and observed the response of the larval telencephalon to an alarm cue using live calcium imaging.

Neuromolecular mechanisms related to reflex behaviour in are affected by ocean acidification.

While ocean acidification (OA) impacts the behaviour of marine organisms, the complexity of neurosystems makes linking behavioural impairments to environmental change difficult. Using a simple model, we exposed to ambient or elevated CO conditions (approx. 1500 µatm) and tested how OA affected the neuromolecular response of the pleural-pedal ganglia and caused tail withdrawal reflex (TWR) impairment.

Transcriptomic responses in the nervous system and correlated behavioural changes of a cephalopod exposed to ocean acidification.

Background: The nervous system is central to coordinating behavioural responses to environmental change, likely including ocean acidification (OA). However, a clear understanding of neurobiological responses to OA is lacking, especially for marine invertebrates.

Results: We evaluated the transcriptomic response of the central nervous system (CNS) and eyes of the two-toned pygmy squid (Idiosepius pygmaeus) to OA conditions, using a de novo transcriptome assembly created with long read PacBio ISO-sequencing data.

Long non-coding RNAs mediate fish gene expression in response to ocean acidification.

The majority of the transcribed genome does not have coding potential but these non-coding transcripts play crucial roles in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of protein-coding genes. Regulation of gene expression is important in shaping an organism's response to environmental changes, ultimately impacting their survival and persistence as population or species face global change. However, the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), when confronted with environmental changes, remain largely unclear.

Warming affects routine swimming activity and novel odour response in larval zebrafish.

Temperature is a primary factor affecting the physiology of ectothermic animals and global warming of water bodies may therefore impact aquatic life. Understanding the effects of near-future predicted temperature changes on the behaviour and underlying molecular mechanisms of aquatic animals is of particular importance, since behaviour mediates survival. In this study, we investigate the effects of developmental temperature on locomotory behaviour and olfactory learning in the zebrafish, Danio rerio.

Gene losses, parallel evolution and heightened expression confer adaptations to dedicated cleaning behaviour.

Background: Cleaning symbioses are captivating interspecific interactions in which a cleaner fish removes ectoparasites from its client, contributing to the health and diversity of natural fish communities and aquaculture systems. However, the genetic signatures underlying this specialized behaviour remain poorly explored. To shed light on this, we generated a high-quality chromosome-scale genome of the bluestreak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus, a dedicated cleaner with cleaning as primary feeding mechanism throughout its life.

The alternative splicing landscape of a coral reef fish during a marine heatwave.

Alternative splicing is a molecular mechanism that enables a single gene to encode multiple transcripts and proteins by post-transcriptional modification of pre-RNA molecules. Changes in the splicing scheme of genes can lead to modifications of the transcriptome and the proteome. This mechanism can enable organisms to respond to environmental fluctuations.

Molecular basis of parental contributions to the behavioural tolerance of elevated pCO in a coral reef fish.

Knowledge of adaptive potential is crucial to predicting the impacts of ocean acidification (OA) on marine organisms. In the spiny damselfish, , individual variation in behavioural tolerance to elevated pCO has been observed and is associated with offspring gene expression patterns in the brain. However, the maternal and paternal contributions of this variation are unknown.

The time course of molecular acclimation to seawater in a euryhaline fish.

The Arabian pupfish, Aphanius dispar, is a euryhaline fish inhabiting both inland nearly-freshwater desert ponds and highly saline Red Sea coastal lagoons of the Arabian Peninsula. Desert ponds and coastal lagoons, located respectively upstream and at the mouths of dry riverbeds ("wadies"), have been found to potentially become connected during periods of intense rainfall, which could allow the fish to migrate between these different habitats. Flash floods would therefore flush Arabian pupfish out to sea, requiring a rapid acclimation to a greater than 40 ppt change in salinity.

Diel pCO fluctuations alter the molecular response of coral reef fishes to ocean acidification conditions.

Environmental partial pressure of CO (pCO ) variation can modify the responses of marine organisms to ocean acidification, yet the underlying mechanisms for this effect remain unclear. On coral reefs, environmental pCO  fluctuates on a regular day-night cycle. Effects of future ocean acidification on coral reef fishes might therefore depend on their response to this diel cycle of pCO .

Natural CO seeps reveal adaptive potential to ocean acidification in fish.

Volcanic CO seeps are natural laboratories that can provide insights into the adaptation of species to ocean acidification. While many species are challenged by reduced-pH levels, some species benefit from the altered environment and thrive. Here, we explore the molecular mechanisms of adaptation to ocean acidification in a population of a temperate fish species that experiences increased population sizes under elevated CO.

Probing SWATH-MS as a tool for proteome level quantification in a nonmodel fish.

Quantitative proteomics via mass spectrometry can provide valuable insight into molecular and phenotypic characteristics of a living system. Recent mass spectrometry developments include data-independent acquisition (SWATH/DIA-MS), an accurate, sensitive and reproducible method for analysing the whole proteome. The main requirement for this method is the creation of a comprehensive spectral library.

Species-specific molecular responses of wild coral reef fishes during a marine heatwave.

The marine heatwave of 2016 was one of the longest and hottest thermal anomalies recorded on the Great Barrier Reef, influencing multiple species of marine ectotherms, including coral reef fishes. There is a gap in our understanding of what the physiological consequences of heatwaves in wild fish populations are. Thus, in this study, we used liver transcriptomes to understand the molecular response of five species to the 2016 heatwave conditions.

Neural effects of elevated CO in fish may be amplified by a vicious cycle.

Maladaptive behavioural disturbances have been reported in some fishes and aquatic invertebrates exposed to projected future CO levels. These disturbances have been linked to altered ion gradients and neurotransmitter function in the brain. Still, it seems surprising that the relatively small ionic changes induced by near-future CO levels can have such profound neural effects.

Beyond buying time: the role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change.

How populations and species respond to modified environmental conditions is critical to their persistence both now and into the future, particularly given the increasing pace of environmental change. The process of adaptation to novel environmental conditions can occur via two mechanisms: (1) the expression of phenotypic plasticity (the ability of one genotype to express varying phenotypes when exposed to different environmental conditions), and (2) evolution via selection for particular phenotypes, resulting in the modification of genetic variation in the population. Plasticity, because it acts at the level of the individual, is often hailed as a rapid-response mechanism that will enable organisms to adapt and survive in our rapidly changing world.

Finding Nemo's Genes: A chromosome-scale reference assembly of the genome of the orange clownfish Amphiprion percula.

The iconic orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, is a model organism for studying the ecology and evolution of reef fishes, including patterns of population connectivity, sex change, social organization, habitat selection and adaptation to climate change. Notably, the orange clownfish is the only reef fish for which a complete larval dispersal kernel has been established and was the first fish species for which it was demonstrated that antipredator responses of reef fishes could be impaired by ocean acidification. Despite its importance, molecular resources for this species remain scarce and until now it lacked a reference genome assembly.

An interplay between plasticity and parental phenotype determines impacts of ocean acidification on a reef fish.

The impacts of ocean acidification will depend on the ability of marine organisms to tolerate, acclimate and eventually adapt to changes in ocean chemistry. Here, we use a unique transgenerational experiment to determine the molecular response of a coral reef fish to short-term, developmental and transgenerational exposure to elevated CO, and to test how these responses are influenced by variations in tolerance to elevated CO exhibited by the parents. Within-generation responses in gene expression to end-of-century predicted CO levels indicate that a self-amplifying cycle in GABAergic neurotransmission is triggered, explaining previously reported neurological and behavioural impairments.

Impact of life history traits on gene flow: A multispecies systematic review across oceanographic barriers in the Mediterranean Sea.

Background: Marine species can demonstrate strong genetic differentiation and population structure despite the hypothesis of open seas and high connectivity. Some suggested drivers causing the genetic breaks are oceanographic barriers and the species' biology. We assessed the relevance of seven major oceanographic fronts on species connectivity while considering their dispersal capacity and life strategy.