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Heart cockle shells transmit sunlight to photosymbiotic algae using bundled fiber optic cables and condensing lenses

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  • Dakota E. McCoy

    (The University of Chicago
    Marine Biological Laboratory
    Stanford University
    Stanford University)

  • Dale H. Burns

    (Stanford University)

  • Elissa Klopfer

    (Stanford University)

  • Liam K. Herndon

    (Stanford University)

  • Babatunde Ogunlade

    (Stanford University)

  • Jennifer A. Dionne

    (Stanford University
    Stanford University
    Chan Zuckerberg Institute)

  • Sönke Johnsen

    (Duke University)

Abstract

Many animals convergently evolved photosynthetic symbioses. In bivalves, giant clams (Cardiidae: Tridacninae) gape open to irradiate their symbionts, but heart cockles (Cardiidae: Fraginae) stay closed because sunlight passes through transparent windows in their shells. Here, we show that heart cockles (Corculum cardissa and spp.) use biophotonic adaptations to transmit sunlight for photosynthesis. Heart cockles transmit 11–62% of photosynthetically active radiation (mean = 31%) but only 5–28% of potentially harmful UV radiation (mean = 14%) to their symbionts. Beneath each window, microlenses condense light to penetrate more deeply into the symbiont-rich tissue. Within each window, aragonite forms narrow fibrous prisms perpendicular to the surface. These bundled “fiber optic cables” project images through the shell with a resolution of >100 lines/mm. Parameter sweeps show that the aragonite fibers’ size (~1 µm diameter), morphology (long fibers rather than plates), and orientation (along the optical c-axis) transmit more light than many other possible designs. Heart cockle shell windows are thus: (i) the first instance of fiber optic cable bundles in an organism to our knowledge; (ii) a second evolution, with epidermal cells in angiosperm plants, of condensing lenses for photosynthesis; and (iii) a photonic system that efficiently transmits useful light while protecting photosymbionts from UV radiation.

Suggested Citation

  • Dakota E. McCoy & Dale H. Burns & Elissa Klopfer & Liam K. Herndon & Babatunde Ogunlade & Jennifer A. Dionne & Sönke Johnsen, 2024. "Heart cockle shells transmit sunlight to photosymbiotic algae using bundled fiber optic cables and condensing lenses," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-53110-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53110-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Vikram C. Sundar & Andrew D. Yablon & John L. Grazul & Micha Ilan & Joanna Aizenberg, 2003. "Fibre-optical features of a glass sponge," Nature, Nature, vol. 424(6951), pages 899-900, August.
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    4. Joanna Aizenberg & Alexei Tkachenko & Steve Weiner & Lia Addadi & Gordon Hendler, 2001. "Calcitic microlenses as part of the photoreceptor system in brittlestars," Nature, Nature, vol. 412(6849), pages 819-822, August.
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