RESUMO
Although larval stages are often considered particularly vulnerable to stressors, for many marine invertebrates studies of thermal tolerance have focused on adults. Here we determined the upper thermal limit (LT50) of the zoea I of four Caribbean crab species (Macrocoeloma trispinosum, Aratus pisonii, Armases ricordi, and Minuca rapax) and compared their thermal tolerance over time and among species. The zoea from the subtidal species M. trispinosum and tree climbing mangrove species A. pisonii had a lower thermal tolerance, 35 and 38.5 °C respectively, than did the semiterrestrial A. ricordi and M. rapax. In all four species tested, the estimates of thermal tolerance depend on the duration of exposure to elevated temperatures. Longer exposures to thermal stress produce lower estimates of LT50, which decreased by ~1 °C from a two- to a six-hour exposure. Crab embryos develop on the abdomen of the mother until the larvae are ready to hatch. Therefore, the thermal tolerances of the embryos which need to coincide with the environmental conditions experienced by the adult stage, may carry over into the early zoea stage. Our results suggest that semiterrestrial species, in which embryos may need to withstand higher temperatures than embryos of subtidal species also produce larvae with higher thermal tolerances. Over the short term, the larvae of these tropical crab species can withstand significantly higher temperatures than those experienced in their marine habitat. Longer term rearing studies are necessary to determine the temperature at which chronic exposure has a negative impact on embryonic and larval survival.(AU)
Assuntos
Animais , Decápodes/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Larva/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Termotolerância , Análise de Vulnerabilidade , Região do CaribeRESUMO
Although larval stages are often considered particularly vulnerable to stressors, for many marine invertebrates studies of thermal tolerance have focused on adults. Here we determined the upper thermal limit (LT50) of the zoea I of four Caribbean crab species (Macrocoeloma trispinosum, Aratus pisonii, Armases ricordi, and Minuca rapax) and compared their thermal tolerance over time and among species. The zoea from the subtidal species M. trispinosum and tree climbing mangrove species A. pisonii had a lower thermal tolerance, 35 and 38.5 °C respectively, than did the semiterrestrial A. ricordi and M. rapax. In all four species tested, the estimates of thermal tolerance depend on the duration of exposure to elevated temperatures. Longer exposures to thermal stress produce lower estimates of LT50, which decreased by ~1 °C from a two- to a six-hour exposure. Crab embryos develop on the abdomen of the mother until the larvae are ready to hatch. Therefore, the thermal tolerances of the embryos which need to coincide with the environmental conditions experienced by the adult stage, may carry over into the early zoea stage. Our results suggest that semiterrestrial species, in which embryos may need to withstand higher temperatures than embryos of subtidal species also produce larvae with higher thermal tolerances. Over the short term, the larvae of these tropical crab species can withstand significantly higher temperatures than those experienced in their marine habitat. Longer term rearing studies are necessary to determine the temperature at which chronic exposure has a negative impact on embryonic and larval survival.
Assuntos
Animais , Análise de Vulnerabilidade , Decápodes/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Larva/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Termotolerância , Região do CaribeRESUMO
The mangrove crab Aratus pisonii (H. Mile Edwards, 1837) was considered to have an amphi-American distribution but a recent genetic study revealed that the Eastern Tropical Pacific populations represent a new species, A. pacificus (Thiercelin & Schubart, 2014). These sister species separated by the Central American Isthmus have developed under different environmental conditions that may influence their larval development. A comparison of morphological and morphometric features (length and width of cephalothorax and length of rostral and dorsal spine, antenna, antennule, telson, and furcae) of recently-hatched larvae of A. pacificus (Pacific coast) and A. pisonii (Caribbean coast) from Costa Rica revealed that the setation pattern of the antennules differed between the species and the analyzed morphometric features were larger in A. pisonii larvae. Difference in size may be a response to different environmental conditions, as the lower primary production in coastal Caribbean waters, which may have forced females of A. pisonii to allocate more energy into the offspring, resulting in larger zoeal size. A greater endogenous reserve may allow the larvae to reduce the duration of the planktonic phase and increase the size at metamorphosis, thus enhancing their survival chances during the planktonic phase. These data regarding morphological and morphometric differences in recently-hatched larvae of the Pacific and Caribbean species support the conclusion that specimens of Aratus from both coasts of Costa Rica represent indeed different species.
Assuntos
Braquiúros/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Distribuição Animal , Estruturas Animais/anatomia & histologia , Estruturas Animais/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Animais , Tamanho Corporal , Braquiúros/anatomia & histologia , Braquiúros/classificação , Costa Rica , Ecossistema , Feminino , Larva/anatomia & histologia , Larva/classificação , Larva/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Masculino , Tamanho do ÓrgãoRESUMO
Caridean shrimps of the genus Synalpheus are abundant and widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, but knowledge of their reproductive biology remains scarce. We report reproductive traits of Synalpheusapioceros from Bocas del Toro, Panama, based on collections in August 2011. The 46 ovigerous females that were analyzed ranged in size from 3.8 to 7.4 mm in carapace length. Fecundity varied between 8 and 310 embryos and increased with female size. Females invested 18.6 ± 10.3% of their body weight in Embryo production. Embryo volume increased considerably (77.2%) during embryogenesis, likely representing water uptake near the end of incubation period. Compared to Synalpheus species with abbreviated or direct development, Synalpheusapioceros produced substantially smaller embryos; however, Synalpheusapioceros seems to have a prolonged larval phase with at least five zoeal stages, which may explain the combination of relatively small and numerous embryos. We did not find nonviable, minute, chalky embryos, previously reported for Synalpheusapioceros specimens obtained from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, which supports the hypothesis that the production of this type of embryos may be a physiological response of this warm-water species to the temperature decrease near to its latitudinal range limit.
ResumenAunque los camarones carídeos del genero Synalpheus son muy abundantes y se encuentran ampliamente distribuidos en regiones tropicales y subtropicales, el conocimiento sobre su biología reproductiva es escaso. En este estudio reportamos algunas características reproductivas de especímenes de Synalpheusapioceros de Bocas del Toro, Panamá, colectados en Agosto del 2011. El largo del caparazón de las 46 hembras ovígeras analizadas se encuentra en un rango de 3.8 y 7.4 mm. La fecundidad varió entre 8 y 310 huevos, aumentando con el tamaño de la hembra. Las hembras invirtieron 18.6 ± 10.3% de su peso corporal en la producción de huevos. El tamaño de los huevos aumentó considerablemente (77.2%) durante la embriogénesis, probablemente por la absorción de agua al final del periodo de incubación. Comparado con especies de Synalpheus que presentan desarrollo abreviado o directo, Synalpheusapioceros produce huevos considerablemente más pequeños; sin embargo Synalpheusapioceros parece tener una fase larval prolongada, con al menos cinco estadios larvales, lo que podría explicar que los huevos sean relativamente pequeños y numerosos. No encontramos los huevos anómalos, no viables, que previamente se habían reportado para especímenes obtenidos en el Golfo de México, lo cual apoya la hipótesis de que la producción de este tipo de huevos puede ser una respuesta fisiológica a la disminución de temperatura cerca del límite latitudinal de esta especie habitante de aguas cálidas.