Abstract
Two common strategies organisms use to finance reproduction are capital breeding (using energy stored prior to reproduction) and income breeding (using energy gathered during the reproductive period). Understanding which of these two strategies a species uses can help in predicting its population dynamics and how it will respond to environmental change. Brachyuran crabs have historically been considered capital breeders as a group, but recent evidence has challenged this assumption. Here, we focus on the mangrove tree crab, Aratus pisonii, and examine its breeding strategy on the Atlantic Florida coast. We collected crabs during and after their breeding season (March–October) and dissected them to discern how energy was stored and utilized for reproduction. We found patterns of reproduction and energy storage that are consistent with both the use of stored energy (capital) and energy acquired (income) during the breeding season. We also found that energy acquisition and storage patterns that supported reproduction were influenced by unequal tidal patterns associated with the syzygy tide inequality cycle. Contrary to previous assumptions for crabs, we suggest that species of crab that produce multiple clutches of eggs during long breeding seasons (many tropical and subtropical species) may commonly use income breeding strategies.
Highlights
Two common strategies organisms use to finance reproduction are capital breeding and income breeding
Economic r oles[13] in coastal systems, and understanding the diversity of reproductive strategies within brachyuran crabs could help in predicting how this group will respond to climate change or other human-induced environmental changes that alter the timing of food availability[14]
We have shown that there is a defined breeding season for A. pisonii on the Florida coast, and that there is variation in energy intake, energy storage, and energy allocation to reproduction throughout this breeding season that is consistent with the use of both capital and income breeding strategies
Summary
Two common strategies organisms use to finance reproduction are capital breeding (using energy stored prior to reproduction) and income breeding (using energy gathered during the reproductive period) Understanding which of these two strategies a species uses can help in predicting its population dynamics and how it will respond to environmental change. It has been assumed that crabs and other small ectotherms are primarily capital breeders due to the relatively low cost of energy storage they experience[3]. In crabs, this assumption is supported by previous studies that document an inverse relationship between hepatopancreas (a digestive organ) and ovary m ass[15,16]. The extent to which crabs use capital vs. income breeding strategies remains unclear
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