Morphological variation and a remarkable new sexual dimorphism in the &lt;em&gt;Pseudocyclops xiphophorus&lt;/em&gt; population of Lake Faro in northeastern Sicily&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;

Cinzia Brugnano,Giacomo Zagami,Geoffrey A Boxshall,Giuseppe Costanzo

doi:10.3989/scimar.2009.73n2347

Abstract

The population of P. xiphophorus in Lake Faro exhibits variation in the form of caudal seta V. In some specimens of both sexes, this seta is spatulate but in others it is slender and unmodified. Occasional specimens are asymmetrical. In addition to this variation in caudal seta form, the Lake Faro population displays variation in male body length and in the extent of the sexually dimorphic specialisation of the right swimming leg 2. The scale of these differences between the morphotypes might suggest their taxonomic treatment as distinct species. The modification of the distal two segments of the exopod of right leg 2 in the male is a unique sexual dimorphism. We infer, from the presence of this hook on the right exopod in adult males only, that it is involved in mating behaviour. Laboratory-based breeding experiments between females and males showing different combinations of these characters were also performed. Experiments comparing egg production rates in females that have mated with modified or unmodified males revealed no significant differences. It appears therefore that gene flow is not interrupted between the morphotypes and that reproductive segregation does not occur. Observations of male leg 5 morphology and musculature revealed no significant differences between the two P. xiphophorus morphotypes.

Highlights

Hyperbenthic calanoid copepods are important by virtue of their unique ecology, biogeography and phylogenetic history
In addition to this variation in caudal seta form, the Lake Faro population displays variation in male body length, and in the extent of the sexually dimorphic specialisation of the right swimming leg 2. The scale of these differences between the morphotypes might suggest their taxonomic treatment as distinct species
This paper examines the variability in caudal setae and characterises in detail the remarkable sexual dimorphism in leg 2

Summary

Introduction

Hyperbenthic calanoid copepods are important by virtue of their unique ecology, biogeography and phylogenetic history. Lake Faro (surface area 263,600 m2, max depth 28 m) is a coastal lagoon located at the northeastern tip of Sicily at 38°16’N, 15°38’E (Fig. 1) It has the typical features of a meromictic basin, i.e. an oxic epilimnion and an anoxic hypolimnion, characterised by large fluctuations in physico-chemical parameters, especially temperature (10-28°C), salinity (34-37 PSU) and dissolved oxygen (ranging from absent near the bottom in the central area to 8.3 mg/l in surface along the shore). These layers are separated by a metalimnion, within which strong blooms of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria cause the periodic development of a red water layer (Genovese, 1963; Truper and Genovese, 1968)

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