{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T14:41:21Z","timestamp":1772721681846,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772668800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Research on Breeding Technology of Candidate Species for Guangdong Modern Marine Ranching","award":["2025-MRB-00-001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025-MRB-00-001"]}]},{"name":"Shellfish & Algae Industry Innovation Team of Guangdong Modern Agricultural Technology System","award":["2024CXTD23"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024CXTD23"]}]},{"name":"National Shellfish Industry Technology System","award":["CARS-49"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CARS-49"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pearl oyster aquaculture is severely constrained by biofouling organisms, particularly fouling oysters, which substantially impair pearl oyster growth and farming efficiency. This study investigated the selective oyster-feeding behavior of the predatory gastropod Thais luteostoma and evaluated its potential as an ecological biofouling control agent in pearl oyster culture. Field co-culture experiments showed that T. luteostoma did not adversely affect the survival of Pinctada fucata martensii, while effectively reducing biofouling loads and significantly improving pearl oyster growth performance. Laboratory behavioral assays and quantitative analyses revealed a pronounced feeding preference for oysters in T. luteostoma, as evidenced by a higher number of feeding individuals, longer total feeding duration, and greater spatial overlap between feeding hotspots and oyster locations. In addition, digestive enzyme assays indicated marked post-feeding physiological responses in T. luteostoma, with a stronger induction of digestive activity in the digestive gland than in the stomach. Collectively, these findings suggest that T. luteostoma represents a promising and sustainable biological option for managing biofouling in pearl oyster aquaculture, with potential applicability to other high-value bivalve farming systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16050814","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T13:11:22Z","timestamp":1772716282000},"page":"814","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Field Experiments, Behavioral Analyses, and Digestive Physiology Reveal the Selective Oyster-Feeding Strategy of Thais luteostoma"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Shijie","family":"Zhong","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Pearl Research Institute, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wenxiu","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Pearl Research Institute, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jiawei","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Pearl Research Institute, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Pearl Breeding and Processing Engineering Technology Research Centre of Guangdong Province, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Guangdong Science and Innovation Center for Pearl Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yiwei","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Pearl Research Institute, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yongshan","family":"Liao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Pearl Research Institute, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Pearl Breeding and Processing Engineering Technology Research Centre of Guangdong Province, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Guangdong Science and Innovation Center for Pearl Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China"},{"name":"Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Disease Control and Healthy Culture, Zhanjiang 524088, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People\u2019s Republic of China, National Fisheries Technology Extension Center, and China Society of Fisheries (2025). China Fisheries Statistical Yearbook 2025, China Agricultural Press."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecss.2018.04.009","article-title":"Growth and Survival of Host Pearl Oyster Pinctada Fucata Martensii (Dunker, 1880) Treated by Different Biofouling-Clean Methods in China","volume":"207","author":"Li","year":"2018","journal-title":"Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"011501","DOI":"10.1115\/1.4003695","article-title":"Flow Around the Free Bottom of Fish Cages in a Uniform Flow with and Without Fouling","volume":"134","author":"Gansel","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Offshore Mech. Arct. Eng."},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"e602","article-title":"Effects of Water Flow Velocity and Fish Culture on Net Biofouling in Fish Cages","volume":"41","author":"Madin","year":"2010","journal-title":"Aquac. Res."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"539","article-title":"Fouling in Scallop Cultivation: Help or Hindrance?","volume":"21","author":"Ross","year":"2002","journal-title":"J. Shellfish Res."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/S0044-8486(97)00014-8","article-title":"Fouling Animals and Their Effect on the Growth of Silver-Lip Pearl Oysters, Pinctada Maxima (Jameson) in Suspended Culture","volume":"153","author":"Taylor","year":"1997","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquaeng.2007.11.001","article-title":"Current Induced Net Deformations in Full-Scale Sea-Cages for Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar)","volume":"38","author":"Lader","year":"2008","journal-title":"Aquac. Eng."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1080\/08927014.2012.749869","article-title":"Biofouling Leads to Reduced Shell Growth and Flesh Weight in the Cultured Mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis","volume":"29","author":"Sievers","year":"2013","journal-title":"Biofouling"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"631","DOI":"10.1080\/08927014.2019.1640214","article-title":"Biofouling in Marine Aquaculture: A Review of Recent Research and Developments","volume":"35","author":"Bannister","year":"2019","journal-title":"Biofouling"},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"270","article-title":"Use of the Sea Urchin Hemicentrotus Pulcherrimus for Biological Control of Fouling in Suspended Scallop Cultivation in Northern China","volume":"420","author":"Qi","year":"2014","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Ross, K. (2002). Fouling in Suspended Cultivation of the Scallop, Pectenmaximus (L.). [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Liverpool]."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"755","DOI":"10.1080\/08927014.2017.1361937","article-title":"To Treat or Not to Treat: A Quantitative Review of the Effect of Biofouling and Control Methods in Shellfish Aquaculture to Evaluate the Necessity of Removal","volume":"33","author":"Sievers","year":"2017","journal-title":"Biofouling"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"737202","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquaculture.2021.737202","article-title":"Potential Use of the Caribbean Spider Crab Maguimithrax Spinosissimus for Biofouling Removal on Marine Aquaculture Cages","volume":"545","author":"Zeinert","year":"2021","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquaculture.2009.03.044","article-title":"The Native Rock Shrimp Rhynchocinetes Typus as a Biological Control of Fouling in Suspended Scallop Cultures","volume":"292","author":"Dumont","year":"2009","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Montgomery, E.M., Cannon, B.L., and Pearce, C.M. (2023). Exploring Biofouling Control by the California Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus) in Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) with Organic Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Fishes, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/fishes8090430"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquaculture.2016.06.010","article-title":"Co-Culturing Green Sea Urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) with Mussels (Mytilus spp.) to Control Biofouling at an Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Site","volume":"464","author":"Sterling","year":"2016","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ibiod.2006.07.007","article-title":"Marine Fouling of Offshore Installations in the Northern Beibu Gulf of China","volume":"58","author":"Yan","year":"2006","journal-title":"Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad."},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"957","article-title":"An overview of the characteristics of marine fouling organisms in the beibu gulf","volume":"32","author":"Huang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ. Eng."},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"133","article-title":"Species Composition and Seasonal Characteristics of the Fouling Organisms in the Cage Culturing Waters of Leizhou Bay, Guangdong Province","volume":"45","author":"Zhou","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Fish. Res."},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"344","article-title":"Effects of Three Kinds of Snails on the Control of Oysters Attached to the Shell of Cultured Abalone","volume":"30","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Fish. Sci. China"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1649","DOI":"10.17582\/journal.pjz\/20200524130518","article-title":"Effects of Different Dietary Lipid Levels on the Growth Performance, Body Composition and Digestive Enzymes of the Dog Conch, Laevistrombus canarium","volume":"53","author":"Chu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pak. J. Zool."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ge, X., Zhao, J., Liang, Z., Chi, Q., Mao, J., Wang, X., Chang, Y., and Hao, Z. (2022). Comparative Analysis of Neptunea Cumingii Growth, Related Digestive and Immune Enzyme Indicators, and Liver Transcriptome Under Different Feeding Conditions. Front. Mar. Sci., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmars.2022.1013180"},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"566","article-title":"Tolerance of Trumpet Hemifusus Tuba(Gmelin) to Several Environmental Factors","volume":"27","author":"Pan","year":"2008","journal-title":"Fish. Sci."},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"301","article-title":"Influence on Growth and Survival of Babylonia Lutosa Juveniles Fed with Several Natural Diets","volume":"35","author":"Zheng","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Fish. Res."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"280","DOI":"10.2110\/palo.2008.p08-074r","article-title":"Drilling Predation Intensity and Feeding Preferences by Nucella (Muricidae) on Limpets Inferred from a Dead-Shell Assemblage","volume":"24","author":"Yanes","year":"2009","journal-title":"Palaios"},{"key":"ref_26","first-page":"306","article-title":"Systematic Taxonomy of Thais (Gastropoda: Muricidae) Along Zhejiang Coast","volume":"29","author":"You","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Zhejiang Ocean Univ. Sci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"303","DOI":"10.1016\/S0269-7491(01)00086-0","article-title":"Interspecific Variation in Heavy Metal Body Concentrations in Hong Kong Marine Invertebrates","volume":"114","author":"Blackmore","year":"2001","journal-title":"Environ. Pollut."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1161","DOI":"10.1016\/S0025-326X(01)00132-1","article-title":"The Interpretation of Body Trace Metal Concentrations in Neogastropods from Hong Kong","volume":"42","author":"Blackmore","year":"2001","journal-title":"Mar. Pollut. Bull."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Shan, B., Deng, Z., Ma, S., Sun, D., Liu, Y., Yang, C., Wu, Q., and Yu, G. (2023). A New Record of Pinctada Fucata (Bivalvia: Pterioida: Pteriidae) in Mischief Reef: A Potential Invasive Species in the Nansha Islands, China. Diversity, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/d15040578"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Southgate, P.C., and Lucas, J.S. (2008). The Pearl Oyster, Elsevier Science.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-444-52976-3.00007-3"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"199","DOI":"10.2983\/035.042.0202","article-title":"Effects of Biofouling by Ascidians on Cultured Mussels: Apoptosis, Autophagy, and Antioxidant Defense","volume":"42","author":"Feidantsis","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Shellfish Res."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jembe.2006.10.023","article-title":"Ascidian Suspension Feeding","volume":"342","author":"Petersen","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"177","DOI":"10.3391\/ai.2009.4.1.18","article-title":"Ecological Interactions between the Vase Tunicate (Ciona intestinalis) and the Farmed Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) in Nova Scotia, Canada","volume":"4","author":"Locke","year":"2009","journal-title":"Aquat. Invasions"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"242","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-7345.2011.00460.x","article-title":"Biofouling in Marine Molluscan Shellfish Aquaculture: A Survey Assessing the Business and Economic Implications of Mitigation","volume":"42","author":"Adams","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. World Aquac. Soc."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1016\/0044-8486(94)90268-2","article-title":"Fouling Development and Its Effect on the Growth of Juvenile Giant Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) in Suspended Culture","volume":"121","author":"Claereboudt","year":"1994","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yu, Z.-L., Yang, M.-J., Song, H., Zhang, T., and Yuan, X.-T. (2023). Gastropod Chemoreception Behaviors\u2014Mechanisms Underlying the Perception and Location of Targets and Implications for Shellfish Fishery Development in Aquatic Environments. Front. Mar. Sci., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmars.2022.1042962"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"734392","DOI":"10.1016\/j.aquaculture.2019.734392","article-title":"Environmental Water Flow Can Boost Foraging Success of the Juvenile Rapa Whelk Rapana Venosa (Muricidae) in Aquaculture Tanks with Still or Flowing Water: Indication of Chemosensory Foraging","volume":"513","author":"Yu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Aquaculture"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ponder, W.F., Lindberg, D.R., and Ponder, J.M. (2019). Biology and Evolution of the Mollusca, Volume 1, CRC Press.","DOI":"10.1201\/9781351115667-1"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1420","DOI":"10.1002\/ps.7311","article-title":"Proteomic Analysis of Digestive Tract Peptidases and Lipases from the Invasive Gastropod Pomacea Canaliculata","volume":"79","author":"Vega","year":"2023","journal-title":"Pest Manag. Sci."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1186\/1476-511X-10-91","article-title":"Immunohistochemical Localization of Hepatopancreatic Phospholipase A2 in Hexaplex Trunculus Digestive Cells","volume":"10","author":"Zarai","year":"2011","journal-title":"Lipids Health Dis."}],"container-title":["Animals"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/16\/5\/814\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]],"date-time":"2026-03-05T13:34:22Z","timestamp":1772717662000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2615\/16\/5\/814"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]}},"alternative-id":["ani16050814"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ani16050814","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2615"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2615","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,5]]}}}