Abstract
Variation in local environmental conditions can have pronounced effects on the population structure and dynamics of marine organisms. Previous studies on crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, have primarily focused on effects of water quality and nutrient availability on larval growth and survival, while the role of maternal nutrition on reproduction and larval development has been overlooked. To examine the effects of maternal nutrition on oocyte size and early larval development in A. planci, we pre-conditioned females for 60 days on alternative diets of preferred coral prey (Acropora abrotanoides) versus non-preferred coral prey (Porites rus) and compared resulting gametes and progeny to those produced by females that were starved over the same period. Females fed ad libitum with Acropora increased in weight, produced heavier gonads and produced larger oocytes compared to Porites-fed and starved females. Fed starfish (regardless of whether it was Acropora or Porites) produced bigger larvae with larger stomachs and had a higher frequency of normal larvae that reached the late bipinnaria / early brachiolaria stage compared to starved starfish. Females on Acropora diet also produced a higher proportion of larvae that progressed to more advanced stages faster compared to Porites-fed starfish, which progressed faster than starved starfish. These results suggest that maternal provisioning can have important consequences for the quality and quantity of progeny. Because food quality (coral community structure) and quantity (coral abundance) varies widely among reef locations and habitats, local variation in maternal nutrition of A. planci is likely to moderate reproductive success and may explain temporal and spatial fluctuations in abundance of this species.
Highlights
Episodic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, have resulted in widespread degradation of Indo-Pacific coral reefs [1]
While the ultimate cause of outbreaks is still the subject of debate, most researchers agree that exploring the reproductive biology and early life history of A. planci is essential in understanding mechanisms that lead to outbreaks
Gravid A. planci collected from Okinawa and starved for 90 days showed no change in the size and condition of gonads even though pyloric caeca were reduced to thin ribbons [20]
Summary
Episodic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, have resulted in widespread degradation of Indo-Pacific coral reefs [1]. We examined the role of experimental variation in maternal nutrition (comparing between individuals that were starved, fed on preferred corals and fed on generally nonpreferred coral prey) on the larval growth and early development prior to exogenous feeding by larvae. The effect of maternal nutrition on the following aspects of reproduction and larval development in A. planci are addressed in this study: (1) adult female morphometrics before and after treatment; (2) gonad and pyloric caeca indexes; (3) oocyte size and shape; (4) fertilization rates; (5) early larval growth; (6) larval survival; and (7) larval development. Few studies have investigated the effect of the nutritional state of the adult A. planci on oocyte size, fertilization, larval growth and development This has important implications on the survival of larvae when exogenous food supply is low or absent. Because food quality (coral community structure) and quantity (coral abundance) varies widely between adult populations of A. planci in coral reefs, any effect of maternal nutrition on larval quality and survivorship may influence the overall reproductive success of A. planci and help explain marked fluctuations in abundance
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