Stress Resistance as an Invasive Trait - The Case of Ammothea hilgendorfi, the First Invasive Pycnogonid

For a biological invasion to be successful, alien species must resist and adapt to all the new conditions they encounter. This ability comes from traits facilitating invasions, called invasive traits. Identifying and understanding these traits is crucial for predicting areas possibly invaded. Among the 1,400 pycnogonids, poorly studied marine arthropods, Ammothea hilgendorfi (Böhm, 1879) is the only invasive species to date. The present project aims to understand the success of this peculiar invasive animal, by focusing on its ability to resist a wide range of stresses. It will be divided into three axes. The first axis will focus on the physiological response and will define the limits of thermal and saline resistance by creating a Thermal Death Time (TDT) model. The second axis will aim to analyse the metabolic response to stresses with a special focus on the ability of the species to enter dormancy by using NMR techniques. The third and final axis is the construction of an ecological niche model (ENM) to predict suitable areas for invasion. In several experiments, the invasive populations will be compared with native ones and other species. The invasive population is expected to show stronger resistance, which enabled it to extend its range.