Larval and early juvenile development of Paralomis granulosa reared at different temperatures: tolerance of cold and food limitation in a lithodid crab from high latitudes

Abstract

Paralomis granulosa Jacquinot is a commercially fished lithodid crab species living in subantarctic and cold-temperate regions of southern South America. Its larval stages (Zoea I, II, Megalopa) are fully lecithotrophic, developing in the complete absence of food from hatching through metamorphosis; first feeding occurs in the first juvenile crab stage. In laboratory rearing experiments conducted at constant 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15°C, we studied rates of larval and early juvenile survival and development in relation to temperature. At 1°C, many larvae (52%) reached the Megalopa stage almost 2 mo after hatching, but all died subsequently without passing through metamorphosis. Larval development was successfully completed at all other temperatures, with maximum survival at 6 to 9°C. The time of non-feeding larval development from hatching to metamorphosis lasted, on average, from 24 d (at 15°C) to almost 4 mo (117 d, at 3°C). When the experiment was terminated 1 yr after hatching, the 3rd (3°C) to 8th (15°C) juvenile crab instar had been reached. The relationship between the time of development through individual larval or juvenile stages (y) and temperature (T ) was described as a power function (y = a × T b , or log[y] = log[a] + b · log[T]; the same regression model was also used to describe the temperature-dependence of cumulative periods of development from hatching. The wide thermal tolerance window for successful larval development (at least 3 to 15°C) and the broad geographic range of this species show that the early life-cycle stages of P. granulosa are cold-eurythermal. This physiological trait together with larval independence of food indicate that this lithodid crab species is well adapted to severe conditions of cold in combination with the food-limitation in subantarctic regions. Since similar traits have been also observed in other Lithodidae, we suggest that early life-history adaptations to low temperatures and low planktonic productivity may explain the high number of lithodid species occurring at high latitudes and in the deep sea, i.e. in conditions under which other Decapoda show strongly reduced diversity.

Tolerance of Hyas araneus zoea I larvae to elevated seawater PCO2 despite elevated metabolic costs

“…Anger et al 1989). This assumption is supported by an increased mineral (ash) content in percent of dry weight at the beginning of each moult cycle (Anger 2003). In the present study, we found a higher percentage of organic components in larval dry weight on day 8 only at the highest seawater CO 2 concentration of 2,400 latm followed by an initial decrease in organic components in larval dry weight.…”

“…In crustaceans, different larval feeding strategies can be found. While larvae development of some crustacean species at high latitudes comprises a lecithotrophic phase (Anger et al 2003), Arctic H. araneus larvae depend on food out of the water column for a successful development. Former studies indicated the crucial importance of a sufficient food supply for development and survival of crustacean larvae (Anger and Dawirs 1981;Dawirs 1983).…”

First year growth in the lithodids Lithodes santolla and Paralomis granulosa reared at different temperatures

“…The temperature-dependent patterns of juvenile mortality and growth observed during the first year of postlarval life are similar to those found in the larval development of both species (Nakanishi, 1985;Anger, 1996;Anger et al, 2003Anger et al, , 2004. Juvenile growth increases with temperature, while the intermoult period in successively later instars tends to increase.…”

“…L. santolla, which is distributed along the Pacific coast over approximately 138 latitude and in the Atlantic over approximately 208 (Retamal, 1981;Vinuesa, 1991;Boschi et al, 1992;Gorny, 1999), experiences regional differences in average seawater temperature of up to about 9 8C . Based on our present data on the temperature dependence of juvenile growth in L. santolla and P. granulosa, and considering the wide latitudinal range of distribution in both species (see Boschi et al, 1992;Anger et al, 2003Anger et al, , 2004, we can also conclude that variations in size at maturity among regional populations can be attributed to temperature dependence of growth. For example, female L. santolla attain sexual maturity at 67.5 and 75 mm CL in the Golfo San Jorge (ca.…”

Seasonal variations in larval biomass and biochemical composition of brown shrimp, Crangon crangon (Decapoda, Caridea), at hatching

“…In temperate and high-latitude marine invertebrates, this reproductive trait has been interpreted as an evolutionary adaptation to a mismatch between short seasonal periods of planktonic food availability and a prolonged larval development at low temperatures (e.g. Anger et al 2003).…”