Abstract
Epibenthic samples collected from March to December 2012 (except September) in Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) were used to study the reproductive biology of Dulichiella appen- diculata, an amphipod species common in estuaries of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the USA, whose life history is not well known. Mean densities (± SE) of D. appendiculata increased from May to July, and declined thereafter. The species reproduced continuously from April (spring) to October (fall). The proportions of ovigerous to non-ovigerous females increased with temperature, from ~70% (April), when mean water temperature was 14.7 ± 0.77°C, to ~94% (July), when water temperature was at its peak (26.4 ± 0.23°C), before decreasing to 0% (November) when the temperature was 9.6 ± 0.2°C. The maximum body lengths of non-ovigerous (9.75 mm) and ovigerous (9.85 mm) females, and males (11.1 mm) were larger than values previously reported in a D. appendiculata population in Beaufort, North Carolina, USA. Large ovigerous females from an overwintering cohort produced juveniles in April, and then disappeared from the population by June, leaving behind small, less fecund ovigerous females belonging to a new generation to pro- duce juveniles. Thus, ovigerous females were smaller in size in June (mean ± SE: 4.8 ± 0.2 mm) than in April (7.3 ± 0.1 mm) and May (8.8 ± 0.5 mm). Males outnumbered females from May to October, but the reverse was the case in April (p < 0.05). The D. appendiculata population in MCBs has a semi-annual, iteroparous life history, with a longevity of about 6 mo (spring breeder) and 9 mo (fall breeder).
Highlights
Dulichiella appendiculata (Say, 1818) is a very common species of amphipod distributed along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States from Delaware to Louisiana (Nelson 1980, LeCroy 2000, Lowry & Springthorpe 2007)
A few publications exist on the reproductive biology of melitiid amphipods (Nelson 1980, Van Dolah & Bird 1980, Sainte-Marie 1991), though the information they contain on D. appendiculata was based on data collected in North Carolina (Nelson 1978)
The present study aims to describe, for the first time, the life history and some aspects of the reproductive biology of D. appendiculata in Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs)
Summary
Dulichiella appendiculata (Say, 1818) is a very common species of amphipod distributed along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States from Delaware to Louisiana (Nelson 1980, LeCroy 2000, Lowry & Springthorpe 2007) It is epibenthic and found in shallow waters, mainly near shores, grass beds, fouling communities, and among algae, sponges, ascidians, hydroids, and bryozoans (LeCroy 2000, Lowry & Springthorpe 2007). It has Amphipods exhibit various life-history traits (Morino 1978, Nelson 1980, Van Dolah & Bird 1980, Wildish 1982, Sainte-Marie 1991). The present study aims to describe, for the first time, the life history and some aspects of the reproductive biology of D. appendiculata in MCBs
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