Reproductive and growth strategies of Idotea balthica basteri (Pallas, 1772) population in the Bizerte lagoon (Tunisia,Southern Mediterranean)

We analysed several life history traits of the marine isopod Idotea balthica basteri (Pallas, 1772) from the Bizerte lagoon, Southern Mediterranean Sea. Growth was continuous throughout the life of the animal with a high growth rate in the first life phase, and the growth curve was described according to von Bertalanffy's model. The lowest growth rate (0.23 mm) was recorded in winter (December, January and February) and the maximum rate (2.31 mm) between April and June. The total number of hatched eggs or embryos was positively correlated with the body length of ovigerous females. This population of I. balthica basteri was iteroparous, showing distinct strategies of reproduction. Large ovigerous females with high fecundity were collected during the whole sampling period, while breeding in smaller females with low fecundity was restricted to the period from late spring to early autumn, Manca size increased significantly with increasing female body size and there was also a significant trade‐off between manca size and the number of eggs per brood. Reproductive allocation, ranging between 17.1 ± 1.2% in winter and 23.2 ± 1.8% in summer, was positively correlated with female weight. Accordingly, parental investment in producing a juvenile varied between 1.02% per manca in winter to 3.38% in spring. Evaluated traits show that late summer and autumn cohorts have a K‐strategy, whereas cohorts born in winter and spring, and which exhibit a shorter life time, exhibit faster development, earlier reproduction and a smaller parental investment tending towards an r‐selected strategy.     

Body and brood sizes of Tenagomysis spp. (Crustacea: Mysida) in southern estuaries in New Zealand

Mysids form a large biomass and mediate the benthic–pelagic coupling of numerous estuaries in southern New Zealand. An intra-annual (2011–2012) field survey in the breeding seasons (i.e. austral spring followed by summer) of mysids Tenagomysis chiltoni and Tenagomysis novaezealandiae, examining the body and brood sizes, was conducted. Samples were collected from six open and eight intermittently open/closed estuaries along the Otago coastline. Brood size of gravid females of T. chiltoni was not significantly related to their body size. Brood size of gravid females of T. novaezealandiae showed a significantly positive relationship with body size in spring but not in summer. It appears that brood size of gravid mysids do not always necessarily depend on body size, but may be influenced by breeding season (e.g. spring) and estuarine typology (e.g. intermittently open/closed).     

Comparative reproductive biology of two southwestern Atlantic populations of the hermit crab Pagurus exilis (Crustacea: Anomura: Paguridae)

Pagurus exilis (Benedict, 1892) is an endemic South Atlantic hermit crab with a distribution ranging from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, to Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The present study analyzed the reproduction of two populations at the extremes of this geographical distribution, and compared their reproductive period, fecundity, and changes in egg size and egg volume during the incubation period in order to assess the variability over this latitudinal range. Hermit crabs were collected monthly over a 2‐year period. In total, 108 females were analyzed for Brazil (44 non‐ovigerous and 64 ovigerous), and 141 for Argentina (87 non‐ovigerous and 54 ovigerous). Reproduction in Brazil occurs year‐round, with peaks in the fall and winter seasons; in Argentina reproduction occurs only in spring and summer. The Brazilian ovigerous females were significantly larger than the Argentina ones (Brazil: SL = 5.33 ± 1.45 mm; Argentina: SL = 4.15 ± 0.52 mm; P < 0.001). The fecundity was 1447 ± 831 eggs (317 to 2885) in Brazil and 987 ± 711 eggs (114 to 2665) in Argentina, with a trend towards higher fecundity in Brazil. Eggs in the Argentina population were larger than those in Brazil for all the three stages investigated, and no changes in egg volume were found during egg development for both populations. The reproductive traits of the two populations showed some important differences, which may reflect adaptations to local environmental conditions, demonstrating a high plasticity of reproductive features of the species in Brazilian and Argentine waters. The strategy adopted by the Argentina population involves a lower production of larger eggs compared to the population in Brazil; this lower production is associated with reproduction in cold‐water regions.     

Size-specific seasonal trends in spawning of pilchard Sardinops ocellatus in the northern Benguela system, 1973/74

Seasonal trends in spawning, derived from ovary-weight data of four length classes of pilchard Sardinops ocellatus, are compared. Ovary-weight data were obtained from some 9 000 females collected between June 1973 and September 1974. The number of ovaries beyond the commencement of hydration was used to estimate the incidence of advanced ovaries. There were peaks in the incidence of advanced ovaries during both spring and summer for all four length classes, and the lowest incidence was during late autumn and early winter. Spawning incidence was high over a longer period during summer 1973/74 than during spring 1973. The reproductive potential for the entire spawning season (the total number of spawnings) of the larger length classes was considerably more than that of the smaller ones, the increase in the number of spawnings being about 50–70 per cent for each 1-cm increase in length.     

Metridia pacifica in Dabob Bay, Washington: The diatom effect and the discrepancy between high abundance and low egg production rates

Information on life cycle strategies and reproductive parameters of Metridia pacifica is scarce, despite its importance in the zooplankton of the subarctic Pacific. In many regions it occurs in high abundance, but reproductive rates, when reported, are usually low. This discrepancy was studied in Dabob Bay, Washington, USA, in the context of an investigation of the effect of diatom blooms on the reproductive success of copepod grazers.In situ egg production rates of M. pacifica were measured in spring and mid-summer with standard methods (multi-wells) and a new incubation chamber (spawning towers) that separates the spawning female from its eggs and allows the eggs to develop undisturbed. Many females did not produce eggs, possibly due to a high fraction of immature individuals. Egg production rates were variable, but clutch sizes were higher in spawning towers, and estimates of female egg cannibalism revealed that females consume many eggs shortly after their release. Thus, a separation of females and eggs is mandatory for accurate measurements of M. pacifica egg production rates. The maximum clutch sizes recorded in our study were comparable to measurements for other calanoids. However, unviable eggs were a large fraction of those spawned, independent of incubation method, especially in late winter and early spring. In order to assess whether the diatom effect may be responsible for low viability of embryos and nauplii, we also measured in situ grazing. Adult females were omnivorous, but they ingested some diatoms that rank among the strongest anti-mitotic toxin producers known so far. Although M. pacifica’s vertical migration behavior suggests opportunistic feeding on abundant food during their short stay in the phytoplankton-rich surface, they often ignored the food items that contributed most to microplankton carbon concentrations. Thus, their feeding strategy remains ambiguous. Due to severe reproductive failure early in the season, recruitment was impaired in spring, while the population increased, reaching high abundance in mid-summer when reproductive output was low. While advection and interannual variability in bloom conditions might compensate for the losses described here, the paradox of high Metridia abundance versus low reproductive success still requires further investigation, and methodological constraints need to be ruled out in future studies.     

Reproductive success of Calanus pacificus during diatom blooms in Dabob Bay, Washington

While numerous laboratory studies in the last decade have shown that diatoms can induce reproductive failure in copepods, field evidence for a negative diatom effect is equivocal. To unambiguously elucidate the effects diatoms have on copepod reproduction in situ, we undertook a study of the abundance, distribution, grazing rates, and reproductive success of Calanus pacificus in Dabob Bay, Washington, USA, during two spring bloom periods. We simultaneously measured the phytoplankton composition, abundance, and distribution. Here we present results for the reproductive success of C. pacificus using four measurements: egg production rate, clutch size, egg hatching success, and naupliar survival (to the first feeding stage). Egg production rate was positively correlated with chlorophyll a concentration, and egg hatching success and naupliar survival were usually greater than 80%. However, in February 2002 and 2003 – during blooms of diatoms of the genus Thalassiosira – either egg hatching success, naupliar survival, or both were significantly depressed compared to other times in spring and summer. These effects, combined with evidence that C. pacificus was grazing aldehyde-producing Thalassiosira at the time of their blooms, indicate that diatoms can negatively affect copepod reproduction in the field, albeit only under specific circumstances and for brief periods.     

Sexual traits plasticity of the potentially invasive limpet Bostrycapulus odites (Gastropoda: Calyptraeidae) within its natural distribution in South America

The slipper limpet Bostrycapulus odites has recently been reported as an introduced species on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Another species in the family Calyptraeidae, Crepidula fornicata, is a problematic invasive species in the Northeast Atlantic, which makes the closely related Bostrycapulus introduction a matter of concern. Information on the biology of B. odites in its natural environment can facilitate predictions on where the species could find favourable conditions for settlement and expansion. Size and sex were recorded for individuals in four populations over 2600 km of the Southwestern Atlantic shoreline, in Argentina and Brazil, covering the whole native latitudinal range of this widely distributed species. Animals were collected by hand in the intertidal or by SCUBA in subtidal locations; specimens were examined to determine shell length, sex, and the presence and number of brooded egg capsules in females. Mean shell length for the whole population did not differ significantly among populations. However, this species experiences sequential hermaphroditism (protandrism), and the size at sexual maturity (minimum male size) increased significantly with latitude. The fecundity of females at all sites increased with size, and the number of brooded egg capsules as well as the average size of capsules was larger in bigger individual females; however, mean fecundity varied among sites independent of mean female body size. This limpet species modifies its reproductive traits with local conditions, and sexual characters develop earlier in more temperate localities.     

Reproductive biology of spiny lobster Panulirus regius from the north-western Cape Verde Islands

Green (spiny) lobsters Panulirus regius were obtained by diving at Cape Verde, West Africa, during three sampling periods: May–November 2001, April–December 2002 and April–June 2003. Totals of 429 male lobsters and 423 females (852 in all) were caught. Half the females were ovigerous throughout the sampling periods. Female estimated size-at-50% maturity was 87.9mm carapace length (CL). Brood size and egg developmental stage were examined in 68 ovigerous females. The relationship between brood size (BS, thousands of eggs) and CL (mm) was BS = 1.59CL^2.77. Females in the size-class 100–105mm and 115–120mm CL produced half the eggs in the population. Based on these results, an increase in the minimum landing size is proposed. The potential implementation of a maximum landing size is discussed.     

Biology of Evechinus chloroticus (echinoidea: Echinometridae) from different localities

Mean gonad indices of Evechinus chloroticus (Val.) at Kaikoura and Kaiteriteri, South Island, New Zealand, increased during the winter and spring to reach peak values during the summer and then decreased to minimum values in autumn. There was only one major summer peak at Kaikoura, but two at Kaiteriteri. The maximum mean gonad index of Kaiteriteri specimens was little higher than the minimum at Kaikoura. Absolute size of gonads and spawn producton were also lower at Kaiteriteri, perhaps because of less food there.

At both localities gametogenic cycles were correlated with gonad index cycles, progressing from unripe to ripe from late autumn to spring, but Kaikoura urchins held ripe gametes over a longer period than Kaiteriteri urchins. The volume of spawn from females was greater than that from males but males had ripe gametes (and could be artificially induced to spawn) longer. At Kaikoura, some spawning probably occurred throughout summer with a major spawning in late summer or early autumn. Large urchins with small dark gonads were found throughout the year, particularly at Kaiteriteri; these were probably senile individuals.

Although at both localities Evechinus matured at 3–4 years, Kaikoura urchins were larger at maturity.

At Kaiteriteri sex ratios of mature Evechinus did not differ significantly from 1:1, but in some populations at Kaikoura males were significantly more prevalent than females.     

Size at first maturity in females of the spiny lobster jasus verreauxi (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palinuridae)

The carapace length and total length size at first maturity in females of Jasus verreauxi (H. Milne Edwards, 1851) has been investigated by a detailed study of (a) the detection of the smallest size class with external eggs, and (b) the incidence of egg‐carrying females per size‐class interval. For the study 834 females were measured and examined at Spirits Bay, New Zealand, during mid October and late December 1966. The specimens ranged in carapace length from 12.0 cm to 23.9 cm, and in total length from 29.0 cm to 56.9 cm.

The results of the study show clearly that the females reach first maturity at a carapace length or a total length larger than the present minimum legal size, i.e. a carapace length of 10.2 cm (4.02 in.), or a total length of 25.4 cm (10.0 in.). No mature females were found less than 13.5 cm carapace length, or 32.0 cm total length. First maturity was attained by the majority (50% or more) of the J verreauxi females at a carapace length of 15.3 cm or larger, or at a total length of 38.0 cm or larger.

No undersized (smaller than the minimum legal size) females were present in the collections—yet 10.3% of the specimens were found to be immature. Immature females ranged in carapace length from 12.0 cm to 16.9 cm, or in total length from 29.0 cm to 41.9 cm. Being larger than the minimum legal size, all of the immature specimens examined were “harvested"—without having reached first maturity. It appears therefore that the stocks of small, immature female J. verreauxi are not protected by the present New Zealand minimum size regulation.     

Population biology of Ischyrocerus commensalis,a crab‐associated amphipod,in the Southern Barents Sea: a multi‐annual summer study

Population biology of the amphipod Ischyrocerus commensalis Chevreux, 1900, a facultative commensal of the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus (Tilesius, 1815), is here described on samples collected during summers 2005–2009 in Dalnezelenetskaya Bay (Southern Barents Sea, Russia). The studied features included infestation indices, size composition, morphometric, and reproductive parameters of the summer generation. During the studied period, prevalence and mean number of I. commensalis per host were 34.4% and 54.4 ± 3.3 individuals, respectively. The majority of amphipods were found on the host mouth parts, limbs, and gills. The amphipod sex‐ratio was significantly biased towards females (F:M = 1.36:1). The size frequency distributions observed in July and August were similar but in July the proportion of the smallest amphipods (<2.1 mm body length) was two times higher than that in August. All the amphipods with body length >5.1 mm were males or females. Length–weight relationships in female and male amphipods differed significantly, suggesting that females were heavier than the same‐sized males. The females carrying eggs in their brood pouches were the most abundant groups (54.8% in July 2009 and 51.6% in August 2005–2008). The minimal body length of a female which had released juveniles was 7.0 mm in July and 6.2 mm in August. The size at 50% maturity of I. commensalis females was estimated to be 6.58 mm. The number of eggs laid is positively linearly correlated with the size of a female. The proportion of the females with eggs in the latest developmental stage in July was 10 times higher than in August. The differences of biological features in symbiotic amphipods between the July and August may be explained by more intensive reproduction effort in the earlier month.     

Seasonal and regional patterns in egg production of Calanus glacialis/marshallae in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas during spring and summer, 2002

Understanding the physical and biogeochemical processes that control the exchange of biogenic carbon within and between the arctic shelves, slopes, and deep basins is a key objective of the Western Arctic Shelf-Basin Interaction program (SBI). Here, egg production (EP) of the dominant copepod Calanus glacialis/marshallae was used as an indicator of food limitation for the mesozooplankton community in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in spring and summer, 2002. Both C. glacialis and C. marshallae may occur in this region but the two cannot easily be differentiated visually. Four oceanographic regions were objectively identified that roughly corresponded to the different pathways in circulation of nutrient-rich Pacific water. A ‘transition’ region characterized by ‘older’ Pacific water was located at the shelfbreak and separated the nutrient-rich shelf water and the low-nutrient waters of the deep basin. The observed spatial pattern in EP in C. glacialis/marshallae in spring and summer resulted both from the different water mass environments and from the reproductive cycle of the species. EP was greater on the shelf than in the basin, corresponding to differences in body size and nitrogen condition factor (NCF) in females, while the egg viability was generally high throughout the study area. EP showed no relationship with low-chlorophyll a biomass under heavy ice-cover in spring, while a significant relationship was observed in the more open water in summer. Adult female carbon condition factor (CCF) was much higher in summer, reflecting the accumulation of lipids during the growth season. Small animals with a markedly greater NCF dominated on the shelf. The shelfbreak region contained a mixture of females from the shelf and the basin with intermediate sizes, conditions, and EP rates. The occurrence of water typical of the ‘transition’ shelfbreak region and elevated EP in C. glacialis/marshallae offshore on the Barrow Canyon and East Barrow sections indicated offshore transport of productive shelf water and the associated plankton community. The input of nutrient-rich Pacific water and accompanying elevated production to the northern Chukchi Sea and the Chukchi-Beaufort shelfbreak region may contribute to the reproductive success of C. glacialis/marshallae in this region.     

The life history and sexual biology of Pseudunciola obliquua (crustacea: amphipoda) in the New York Bight

Pseudunciola obliquua is the most abundant subtidal amphipod of the near-shore macrobenthos in the New York Bight south of Fire Island. It has an annual life-cycle. Breeding occurs in March and April, and a single brood of between 8 and 20 eggs per female is produced. Fecundity is linearly proportional to maternal length. The eggs take about two months to develop; the juveniles emerge in June and July. Initial recruitment in the study area was estimated to be 2980 and 5850 per m² for the 1979–1980 and 1980–1981 year classes, respectively. Of the initial recruits only about 10% survive to form the reproductive stock of the following spring.Females and males grow at similar rates and are equally abundant as juveniles and initially as adults, until they reach sexual maturity. After breeding, the abundance of males decreases rapidly due to post-reproductive death. Females continue to live, carrying the developing eggs in their brood pouches. Mean female growth increases throughout the brooding period until the young are released, shortly after which adult females also die. The entire generation of reproductive adults has died by September.     

Spatial and diurnal distribution of invertebrate and fish fauna of a Zostera marina bed and nearby unvegetated sediments in Damariscotta River, Maine (USA)

Fish, epibenthos and macroinfauna were collected in a Zostera marina bed and nearby unvegetated sediments in the estuary of the Damariscotta River, on the mid-coast of Maine. Samples of epibenthic fauna and fish were collected at low tides both during day and night, and samples of infauna at low tides during the day. The mean density of Zostera shoots in the study area was 335 m⁻². Abundance and species number of fish were greater at night than during the day and greater in eelgrass beds (Z. marina) than in unvegetated habitats. Daytime fish collections were dominated by Atlantic silversides (Medinia medinia), while juvenile winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) dominated night collections. Also Zostera-associated epifaunal abundances and number of species were significantly higher at night than during the day. Mysis stenolepis, Idotea balthica and Littorina obtusata were dominant species in the epifauna samples. Of the total of 37 invertebrate species encountered, only five occurred both in the infaunal and epifaunal samples. Nineteen different taxa were collected from the benthic core samples. The most abundant invertebrate infaunal taxa were sipunculids, the polychaete Nereis virens, and oligochaetes. Infaunal invertebrate abundances and species diversity were significantly higher in eelgrass beds than in unvegetated sediments. The abundance and number of species of benthic invertebrates were also positively correlated to seagrass biomass. Community diversity values (H′) were relatively low but fit well in the general pattern of decreasing diversity towards northern latitudes.     

阿根廷滑柔鱼(Illex argentinus)雌性成熟个体的有效繁殖力及有效生殖投入

为掌握阿根廷滑柔鱼繁殖特性,根据2021年在西南大西洋公海采集到的阿根廷滑柔鱼样本进行计数和分析雌性成熟个体有效繁殖力,并利用能量密度测定技术测定分析其有效生殖投入。结果显示,阿根廷滑柔鱼雌性成熟个体的平均胴长为(244.90±16.36) mm,平均体质量为(295.16±64.85) g。雌性成熟个体的有效繁殖力为24 363～102 633粒卵母细胞,平均有效繁殖力为(63 158.49±16 782.00)粒卵母细胞;卵子能量密度值为25.01～26.09kJ/g,平均值为(25.71±0.25)k J/g;有效生殖投入为219.80～817.06 kJ,平均有效生殖投入为(465.02±158.71)kJ。在功能性成熟期,雌性个体的有效繁殖力和有效生殖投入均达到最大值。然而,自成熟度Ⅳ期至Ⅵ期,卵子能量密度值、体质量相对有效繁殖力、体质量相对有效生殖投入均没有显著差异。同时,混合模型结果显示,雌性成熟个体的有效繁殖力和有效生殖投入均随着体质量增加显著增大,但与个体体征没有显著相关性。结果表明,阿根廷滑柔鱼雌性成熟个体的有效繁殖力和有效生殖投入均与成熟体型大小密切相关,然而不同...     

Effect of reproductive state and sex on movement and food consumption of western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) in a tank environment

The catchability of western rock lobsters (Panulirus cygnus) during the spawning season (October and November) may be affected by their reproductive state. In this study, movement and food consumption of males and females of different reproductive states held in laboratory tanks were measured as proxies for catchability. Density of lobsters was found to influence both movement and food consumption. Solitary animals and, to a lesser extent, two lobsters per tank, were more sedentary and consumed significantly less food than animals at a density of three or four specimens per tank. Tests using three animals per tank confirmed that mature, unmated, and ovigerous females carrying early stage eggs moved more frequently away from their shelters than males or females carrying late stage eggs (P < 0.0001, d.f. = 3). Further, unmated females and females with early stage eggs recorded significantly higher food consumption (P < 0.0061, d.f. = 3) compared with males or females carrying late stage eggs. The greater time spent away from shelter and also food consumption make unmated females and females with early stage eggs likely to be more catchable than males or females with late stage eggs. As catchability is commonly used to obtain population estimates from survey data, these results have implications for surveys which use catch rates of breeding animals as indicators of egg production.     

Population biology of Excirolana armata (Dana, 1853) (Isopoda,Cirolanidae) on an exposed sandy beach in Southeastern Brazil

The reproductive biology and population dynamics of the cirolanid isopod Excirolana armata (Dana, 1853) were analysed through monthly samples from December 2003 to November 2005 on Una beach, São Paulo state (24° S), in Southeastern Brazil. Sampling was performed along three transects established from the base of foredunes to the waterline. On Una beach, E. armata showed continuous reproduction with higher abundances of ovigerous females in winter and spring (July–November) with a higher peak of juveniles in spring (November 2004). The fecundity ranged from 2 to 18 eggs/embryos per female, depending on the female length. The incubation period was estimated as 2 months. The life span of males and females was nearly 1 year. The short life span and the high energetic expenditure inherent to reproduction with maternal care, probably kept females from producing more than one brood in their lifetime. When comparing the population of E. armata on Una beach (24° S) with populations in Southern Brazil (32° S), Uruguay (34° S) and Argentina (36° S), it was verified that several biological population traits (length of the smallest juvenile, length of the largest individual, length of the smallest and largest ovigerous females, range of fecundity and life span) tended to increase at higher latitudes, whereas other traits (instantaneous rate of mortality and the curvature parameter of von Bertalanffy growth function) tended to decrease. However, comparing E. armata on Una beach (24° S) with a population situated at a close latitude (25° S), unexpected differences in relation to population structure and to growth demonstrated and reinforced the importance of density‐dependent factors over life history traits of E. armata on dissipative beaches.     

Evidence of summer parturition in shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) sharks from New Zealand waters

A litter of eight near‐term shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque 1810) embryos is described from a 317.5 cm total length (TL) female caught off Hawke Bay, south‐east North Island, New Zealand on 5 February 1999. The embryos (3 males and 5 females) were 67.2–77.0 cm TL. Embryo length, condition, hepato‐somatic indices, and mass of yolk in their stomachs all indicate they were close to birth. This is the first shortfin mako litter reported from New Zealand and is outside the late winter‐early spring parturition period predicted from estimated embryonic and juvenile growth rates. Uterine width data from four mature non‐pregnant females and age‐0+ length‐at‐capture data suggest parturition occurs from September to late February (late winter‐mid summer) but is infrequent after January. We suggest that shortfin makos have an extended parturition period, possibly year‐round, with peak parturition occurring in late winter‐spring.     

Differentiation in reproductive traits of geminate mangrove crabs of the genus Aratus (Decapoda: Brachyura) across the Central American Isthmus

The mangrove crab Aratus pisonii was considered to have an amphi‐American distribution; however, a recent study revealed that the Eastern Tropical Pacific populations were genetically distinct, thus representing a new species: Aratus pacificus. These species separated by the Isthmus of Panama have diverged under different environmental conditions that may have influenced their reproductive biology. As the available information about this genus concerns almost exclusively the Caribbean species, the aim of the present study was to analyse and compare reproductive aspects of A. pacificus and A. pisonii obtained from both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica. Females were collected from April 2011 to April 2012, and reproductive features such as breeding season, size distribution of ovigerous females, fecundity, reproductive output, embryo volume and embryo water content were assessed. Both species produced embryos during the entire sampled period. Most females of A. pacificus carrying embryos close to hatching were found during the rainy season. Ovigerous females of A. pisonii were substantially larger and reached sexual maturity at a larger size than females of A. pacificus. Embryo production started in A. pacificus at a smaller female size than in A. pisonii. As fecundity increased with female size, the average fecundity was lower in A. pacificus. Females of A. pisonii produced larger embryos, which might be related to lower food availability: higher energy content in the embryo enhances the chances of larval survival. These data regarding reproductive features of the Pacific and Caribbean species support the conclusion to separate A. pacificus from A. pisonii.     

Use of late ovarian atresia in describing spawning history of sardine, Sardina pilchardus

We investigated and compared the pattern of accumulation of recent and late atretic follicles in the ovaries of Iberian sardine, Sardina pilchardus, in relation to body size with the aim to examine whether late atresia can be used in back-calculations of individual spawning history. Oppositely to earlier stages, late atresia in sardine was shown to accumulate even at peak spawning periods in fish of larger size/age indicating a relationship between atretic intensity and the distant reproductive performance of the individuals. Despite the fact that intensity of late atresia was very high in some occasions, its accumulation was not shown to impede imminent spawning activity. Lack of dependence between imminent spawning activity and the intensity of late atresia was related to the differential pattern with which postovulatory and atretic follicles are associated to the lamellar epithelium of the ovary. Finally, the effect of the ‘reference trap’ which is a major source of bias when quantifying structures in stereological measurements, could be mediated or even completely removed by using a measure of ovarian growth, such as gonosomatic index in the present study, as a covariate when modeling variability in the intensity of atresia.