Use the following information and figure to answer the question.
The sea slug Pteraeolidia ianthina (P. ianthina) can harbor living dinoflagellates (photosynthetic protists) in its skin. These endosymbiotic dinoflagellates reproduce quickly enough to maintain their populations. Low populations of the dinoflagellates do not affect the sea slugs very much, but high populations ( 5 x 10⁵ cells/mg of sea slug protein) can promote sea slug survival.

Percent of sea slug respiratory carbon demand provided by indwelling dinoflagellates.
If we assume that carbon is the sole nutrient needed by sea slugs to drive their cellular respiration, then based on the graph, during which season(s) is it least necessary for P. ianthina to act as a chemoheterotroph?
A) winter
B) spring
C) summer
D) fall

Question

Use the following information and figure to answer the question.
The sea slug Pteraeolidia ianthina (P. ianthina) can harbor living dinoflagellates (photosynthetic protists) in its skin. These endosymbiotic dinoflagellates reproduce quickly enough to maintain their populations. Low populations of the dinoflagellates do not affect the sea slugs very much, but high populations (> 5 x 10⁵ cells/mg of sea slug protein) can promote sea slug survival.

Percent of sea slug respiratory carbon demand provided by indwelling dinoflagellates.
If we assume that carbon is the sole nutrient needed by sea slugs to drive their cellular respiration, then based on the graph, during which season(s) is it least necessary for P. ianthina to act as a chemoheterotroph?
A) winter 
B) spring 
C) summer 
D) fall

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

During the summer, the percent of respiratory carbon demand provided by indwelling dinoflagellates is the highest, indicating that sea slugs are relying less on chemoheterotrophy during this season. Therefore, it is least necessary for P. ianthina to act as a chemoheterotroph during the summer.

Use the Following Information and Figure to Answer the Question