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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Environmentally driven shift between alternative female morphotypes in the mottled shore crab

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Author(s):
Capparelli, Mariana V. [1] ; Flores, Augusto A. V. [1]
Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Ctr Biol Marinha, BR-11600000 Sao Sebastiao, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 1
Document type: Journal article
Source: ZOOLOGY; v. 114, n. 5, p. 276-283, OCT 2011.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Precocious maturity is an important life history trait and might be advantageous if the juvenile habitat is risky. Larvae of the mottled shore crab Pachygrapsus transversus settle to the benthic habitat at a very large size, undergo a brief juvenile development and mature within a few months at a size about a fourth of the asymptotic maximum size for this species. This strategy may rely on the capacity of this species to molt to a juvenile-like morphotype (ml) in which reproduction is suppressed. In the laboratory, winter temperature triggered the puberty molt for a large proportion of juveniles, and still allowed high growth rates if combined with long photoperiod. This would result in a large number of juvenile crabs to join the adult reproductive stock in spring, at the beginning of the breeding season. Adult morphs (mIl) grow faster under winter conditions, and therefore might be able to direct resources to reproduction during summer. Yet, females held in captivity without any interaction with conspecifics failed to maintain their reproductive status and often reversed to ml stages. In contrast, when a potential mate was presented, all crabs held their mIl status, regardless of whether interaction involved visual, visual + chemical, or visual + chemical + tactile cues. Males discriminate female morphs, and physical interactions, including the inspection of mate receptivity and copulation, took longer when they were interacting with mIl females. More than a trade-off between growth and reproduction, sustaining a breeding condition in P. transversus females is apparently a bet for successful mating in the presence of a suitable male conspecific. (C) 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. (AU)