Egg production and life history of Alona guttata Sars, 1862 (Cladocera, Chydoridae): implications for colonization of temporary ponds

Abstract

Cladocerans are a diverse group of species that show rapid responses to changes in environmental conditions. This adaptive capacity has important implications for egg production and life cycle, especially in transitory environments such as temporary waterbodies. The present study investigated the life history and egg production of Alona gutatta Sars, 1862 (Crustacea, Cladocera), an abundant and frequent species from a high-altitude temporary pond (Lagoa Seca, Minas Gerais, Brazil). Newly hatched neonates were monitored in relation to time of maturation, number of eggs produced per female and time of survival. Neonates required a mean of 8 days to mature. A. guttata survived for a mean of 30.9 ± 8.1 days and produced 2 eggs per brood, generating a mean of 10.95 ± 6.41 neonates during the entire life cycle. The rapid development, short time to produce eggs and long life cycle are important adaptations to the adverse environmental conditions of temporary aquatic environments, which can contribute to the rapid colonization of Alona guttata in transitory ecosystems.

Effect of diet and temperature on the culture of Alona guttata(Sars, 1862) (Cladocera: Chydoridae) under laboratory conditions

“…Up to date, three publications have reported the survival and fertility of A. guttata. On the one side, Garza-León et al (2017) and Osorio-Treviño et al (2019) carried out partial life table analysis with similar algal densities (N. oculata at 2×10 6 cells/mL) and temperature (25°C) than the present study; an on the other side, Cortez- Silva et al (2022) studied the life cycle but used R. subcapitata as food source and temperature within the interval here tested. In these studies, neither of them employed any substrate in the culture media, and despite A. guttata survived and produced offspring in those conditions, we found out that the inclusion of substrate improved the performance of these chydorids, increasing their rate of population growth and survival.…”

“…The maximum survival of A. guttata was comprised within values reported for other chydorids (Table 2). The longest survival within the family Chydoridae were reported for organisms grown at 5°C, reaching values of about 100 d. In the subfamily Aloninae survival has registered values of up to 90 d. For instance, Cortez- Silva et al (2022) reported that longevity of A. guttata reached 37 d as maximum (30.9 d average) when chydorids were fed on R. subcapitata, but we found that this species can survive longer when feeding on either C. vulgaris or N. oculata. It is worth pointing out that food source and temperature influenced longevity of organisms and several publications reported no more than one food source or temperature.…”

“…Alona guttata (Sars, 1862) is a cosmopolitan species, with records in several places around the world (Sinev & Siva-Briano, 2012;Sousa et al, 2014). Cortez-Silva et al (2022) described the life history of A. guttata fed on Raphidocelis subcapitata (Korshikov) Nygaard, Komárek, J.Kristiansen & O.M.Skulberg 1987, and the strategies that this species might follow to rapidly colonize temporal and transitory ponds. Alvarado-Suárez (2017) implemented this chydorid to nourish the goodeid fish Poeciliopsis infans (Woolman, 1894) and concluded that A. guttata is of high nutritional value but their usage is limited due to poor biomass production.…”

Life cycle traits, secondary production and DNA barcode of Oxyurella ciliata Bergamin, 1939 (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Anomopoda, Chydoridae)

“…Chydorids comprise approximately 47 % of currently known species of Cladocera group (Forró et al, 2008). As most microcrustaceans, they are important links in food chains whether acting as herbivores, as prey in aquatic trophic chains or nutrient recyclers, as detritivore feeders (Sterner, 2009;Elmoor-Loureiro, 2016;Cortez-Silva et al, 2022).…”