Patterns of reproduction in the deep-sea benthic crustaceans: a re-evaluation

Abstract

The reproductive condition of three species of deep-sea peracarid crustaceans, two isopods ( Eurycope californiensis and Ilyarachna profunda), and one amphipod ( Harpiniopsis excavata), was ascertained from a series of sequential seasonal samples obtained at 13-week intervals at 1240m from the same station off San Diego, California, U.S.A. In all three species some females of the population sampled were in brooding condition throughout the year and the data give no reason to suspect seasonal peaks of reproduction. Conclusions from the data are in contrast to previous ones in the literature that seemingly supported cyclic reproduction in deep-sea isopod crustaceans.