Reproductive ecology of a freshwater amphipod, Jesogammarus suwaensis Morino, inhabiting Lake Suwa in central Japan

Abstract

The reproductive traits ofJesogammarus suwaensis Morino (1986) were estimated by field survey and rearing experiments. According to the relationship between clutch interval and water temperature, one clutch interval under 15°C corresponded to 212 degree days of the effective cumulative temperature. Thus a female could produce about three clutches during the reproductive period from November to early May in the field. Reproduction was somewhat inhibited at 20°C. The clutch size was positively correlated with female body length, and the regression coefficient was large (4.470 on log-transformed data). Oviposition was somewhat synchronized in the field, and the proportion of paired females increased as their reproductive development approached oviposition. The precopula duration was estimated to be 60–80% of the clutch interval in the field. Positive size-assortative mating was observed in precopula pairs and pairing males were usually larger than single ones.