Relationships between algal food and gut and gonad conditions in the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lam.)

Abstract

A study was conducted on the population of Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) in a Mediterranean infralittoral bottom of southern of Spain to characterize the relationships between the macroalgal food ingested and the gut and gonad conditions of individuals. Over a full annual cycle (November 2008 to October 2009) composition of the gut content was analyzed monthly and seasonally, the gastrointestinal (GII), repletion (RI) and gonadosomatic (gonad) (GI) indices were calculated, and the stage of gonad maturity of the population was assessed. The GII and RI were found to be strongly correlated, so only the RI was considered in the subsequent analysis. The prevalence of Phaeophyceae and local species of this macroalgal group in the gut content of the sea urchins throughout the year suggests that in conditions of abundant resources, with high levels of algal diversity and no effective limits on supply, brown algae are the main component of the natural diet of P. lividus. Comparison of the physiological indices and the algal fractions of gut content identified relationships throughout the year between RI, the stage of gonad maturity and GI. Specifically, these indices were found to be associated with the abundance of Rhodophyta ingested, although in different ways: GI was related to the consumption of fleshy (non-calcified) red algae and the RI, though less statistically significantly, to the consumption of calcified (articulate and encrusting).

Reproductive cycle of the commercially harvested sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) along the western coast of Portugal

“…The reproductive cycle of P. lividus in the Mediterranean Sea presented some similarities to the sea urchin populations from Portugal (Table ). In southern Spain, populations of P. lividus also spawned during spring and summer (Murillo‐Navarro & Jiménez‐Guirado, ; Sánchez‐España et al., ). However, shorter periods of gamete release in spring have also been reported for other populations from Spain (Lozano et al., ) and from Tunisia (Arafa et al., ; Sellem & Guillou, ).…”

Reproductive Cycle of the Edible Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidae) in the Aegean Sea

“…In the Mediterranean Sea, the species typically has a main spawning episode usually in spring, driven by phytoplankton density [8,12,15,22], and a secondary less intense event in autumn [1,6,25]. However, winter events or prolonged spawning periods up to early summer have also been proposed, based on GSI or histological data [3,14,25,26]. Ovaries in mature stages are usually present from late winter to early spring [9,12,14], although mature gonads may be present all year round [14].…”

“…These extensions in the main annual reproductive episode have been related with latitude, thermal regime, food availability, and hydrodynamics [6,27]. Food availability, fleshy macroalgae in particular, has been ascertained as the main driving factor of gonad maturation in P. lividus [26].…”

Isolation and Identification of Protease Enzyme Producing Bacteria from Fermentation of Gonad Sea Urchin (Echinothrix calamaris)

“…The maturity time of urchin gonad is influenced by hydrodynamic conditions of location. Maturation period of urchins between April and June for Paracentrotus lividus population in Tunisia, although the gonad index also seems to vary in different locations (Navarro and Guirado, 2011). Two aquatic ecosystem factors that may affect the quality of fatty acids of gonadal tissue are water temperature and food availability.…”