Offspring size and maternal environments mediate the early juvenile performance of two congeneric whelks

Marine Ecology Progress Series

Alejandro P#xe9rez-Matus¹  Nicole E. Phillips¹  Sergio A. Carrasco¹ 

关键词: Progeny size;    Reproductive strategies;    Environmental variation;    Phenotypic plasticity;    Offspring size-fitness;    Cominella;   

DOI  :  10.3354/meps09763

学科分类：海洋学与技术

来源: Inter-Research

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: Offspring size variation can have pervasive ecological and evolutionary implications for both offspring and mother, affecting an organism’s performance throughout its life. Using 2 marine intertidal whelk species Cominella virgata and C. maculosa as model organisms, we examined how different maternal environments and contrasting hatchling size influence juvenile performance. The average size of field-collected hatchlings greatly differed between the species and at different scales of variation (i.e. among sites). Species-specific differences in hatching size were reflected in juvenile performance. Overall, C. virgata with larger hatchlings (~3 mm), exhibited faster growth rates and higher survival than the smaller C. maculosa (~1.5 mm). Desiccation treatment did not affect the performance of fed juveniles; however, large hatchlings had higher growth rates than small conspecifics for both species. Starved hatchlings of both species performed more poorly than fed ones; however, species-specific and size differences were less significant for the evaluated traits, suggesting a non-size-related allocation of resources and similar resource utilization during starvation conditions (i.e. within species). As has been described for many taxa, large offspring often perform better than small conspecifics; however, because this performance is likely context-dependent, understanding the importance of different scales of variation is crucial for determining when variation in size is an advantage or a disadvantage in terms of an organism’s performance.

【 授权许可】

Unknown