2024-03-29T10:34:27Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/888342018-07-10T10:27:49Zcom_10261_88com_10261_8col_10261_341
The reproductive cycle of the sea urchin Arbacia lixula in northwest Mediterranean: potential influence of temperature and photoperiod
Wangensteen, Owen S.
Turon, Xavier
Casso, Maria
Palacín, Cruz
12 páginas, 5 figuras, 3 tablas.
We studied the reproductive cycle of the sea
urchin Arbacia lixula in a subtidal population from northeast
Spain over four years using a gonadosomatic index
(GSI) and gonad histology. Our results show that the GSI
of A. lixula follows a seasonal cycle which peaks in May–
July and attains its lowest values in October–November
every year. The time course of the GSI matched closely
the photoperiod cycle. We also found a remarkable interannual
variability in the maximum value of GSI, which
correlated with mean water temperature during the gonad
growth period (winter and spring). Gonad histology was
also in agreement with a single gametogenic cycle per
year in this species. We explored the application of circular
statistics to present and analyse gonadal development
data, which allowed us to adequately handle the high intraindividual
variability detected, with several developmental
stages commonly found within the same gonad. The picture
that emerged is one of a gametogenic timing driven by photoperiod,
while the amount of reproductive output is determined
by temperature. This is coherent with the tropical
origin of the species and lends support to recent warnings about an increase in the abundance of this species in the
Mediterranean as a result of global warming, with associated
increased impact potential in sublittoral communities.
This work was funded by projects CTM2010-22218 from the Spanish
Government, 2009SGR-484 from the Catalan Government, BIOCON
08-187/09 from BBVA Foundation and 287844 (COCONET)
of the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme
(FP7/2007–2013).
Peer reviewed
2013-12-19T08:54:07Z
2013-12-19T08:54:07Z
2013
artículo
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Marine Biology 160 : 3157-3168 (2013)
0025-3162
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/88834
10.1007/s00227-013-2303-8
en
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2303-8
open
Springer