Abstract
The southern king crab Lithodes santolla experiences low temperatures and unpredictable food conditions, and is under variable fishing pressure. To compare the reproductive investment of females, crabs were captured from three sites (Beagle Channel 55°S, Tierra del Fuego Atlantic coast 52-54°S and San Jorge Gulf 45-47°S). Fecundity, water and lipid contents were measured in midgut gland, ovary and muscle. To assess the maternal investment in the offspring, egg masses were analysed on lipid, protein, water and inorganic matter contents, egg volume and embryo size. Although fecundity was similar among sites, San Jorge Gulf females showed higher water and lower lipid contents in somatic and reproductive organs. The egg mass energy reserves varied among sites, showing the highest lipid values in the Beagle Channel, and the highest protein and inorganic matter content in San Jorge Gulf. Though water content was similar, egg volume and embryo size were higher in San Jorge Gulf. Moreover, maternal size did not correlate with egg volume, embryo size or lipid, protein and inorganic matter content of the eggs. This study suggests that reproductive investment of L. santolla varies among regions exposed to different environmental conditions, such as the quality of food available, denoting a female compensatory mechanism.
Highlights
The southern king crab, Lithodes santolla, is a lithodid crab inhabiting cold waters of southern South America
Females of L. santolla were obtained in San Jorge Gulf and the Beagle Channel, while females of L. confundens were obtained on the Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego, near the eastern area of the Magellan Strait ( “Tierra del Fuego”)
In the Beagle Channel females were transported alive to the laboratory facilities of the Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), where they were measured and dissected
Summary
The southern king crab, Lithodes santolla, is a lithodid crab inhabiting cold waters of southern South America. It is distributed in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, including fjords and channels, the Magellan Strait and the Beagle Channel (Lovrich and Tapella 2014, Stevens and Lovrich 2014). In the Atlantic Ocean, L. santolla occurs in the shallow waters around Isla de los Estados (54°S) and San Jorge Gulf (45-47°S). In the Atlantic coastal waters near the eastern entrance to the Magellan Strait, another species occurs, Lithodes confundens, which is morphologically very similar to L. santolla, its name. The mating season occurs from December to January in the Beagle Channel and is approximately one month earlier in San Jorge Gulf (Vinuesa 1985, Gowland-Sainz 2018)
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