Life History, Ecological Production, and an Empirical Mathematical Model of the Population of Sagitta elegans in St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia

Abstract

The population of Sagitta elegans Verrill in St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia, was polymodal throughout the year. The modes were distinct enough to be considered as representing subpopulations. Four subpopulations were present in the Bay during the early winter and a fifth subpopulation entered the Bay during the late winter. The growth of the subpopulations was followed through the year and related to the mean water temperature. A mathematical model describing the effect of temperature on development, length of the life cycle, and reproductive potential is presented. The model simulates the effects of temperature on the body length at maturation, ovary length, generation time, and numbers surviving at various body lengths. Predictions are made on the changes in population size due to temperature, and mortality and flushing rate changes. The calorific content of the animals at different stages of the life history are given along with the carbon content of the animals. A yearly ecological production figure is given based on the turnover rates derived from the Allen curve for one of the subpopulations. The significance of the findings is discussed in relation to the geographic distribution of the species.