Seasonal variation in the molt status of an oceanic copepod

Abstract

The timing of diapause, or suppressed development, in the dominant California Current copepod Calanus pacificus was examined in two ways. Diapause timing was inferred from changes in the abundance of deep, diapausing C. pacificus over a full year at a station off southern California, USA. Jaw phase and ecdysteroid content, indicators of molt cycle status in C. pacificus, were also examined to determine if shifts toward early molt phases, as are observed in diapausing Calanus, were also found among surface C. pacificus during periods when the abundance of deep, diapausing C. pacificus was increasing. The abundance of diapausing C. pacificus in deep water increased from June to mid-October, then declined from October to March. The percentage of surface-living C. pacificus CV with postmolt jaws, the earliest jaw phase, was significantly higher from June to mid-October than at other times. The ecdysteroid content of surface-living C. pacificus CV was also significantly lower during June to mid-October than during late October to May. Both of these changes indicate a shift to earlier molt phases in surface-living C. pacificus CV during periods of onset of diapause. However, the molt status of surface CV was variable from June to mid-October, suggesting that preparation for diapause was spatially or temporally heterogeneous. Hypotheses about environmental cues that induce diapause were evaluated, although the effect of cues on possibly sensitive stages could not be considered. The abundance of diapausing C. pacificus increased during a period of warm upper water column temperature and generally high and declining photoperiod; however, evaluation of the cues inducing diapause was inconclusive.