All or nothing: switch to high current reproductive investment under risk of starvation in male kelp crab
One of the key features in reproduction of polygynous species is seminal recovery after mating. However, it is poorly known how environmental factors affect the recuperation period of seminal material. This study aims to test plasticity in recovery of seminal reserves in response to distinct environ...
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Zusammenfassung: | One of the key features in reproduction of polygynous species is seminal
recovery after mating. However, it is poorly known how environmental
factors affect the recuperation period of seminal material. This study
aims to test plasticity in recovery of seminal reserves in response to
distinct environmental conditions of the kelp crab Taliepus dentatus. Male
crabs were maintained after depletion of seminal reserves in one of eight
different treatments in a factorial design of temperature (12°C and 16°C),
food availability (with alimentation and food deprivation) and time period
(15 and 30 days), simulating different environmental situations in the
laboratory to which the crab might be exposed to along its distribution.
Temperature and food availability modulated the seminal recovery period in
T. dentatus. Complete replenishment was reached within 30 days in all
treatments (i.e., 12°C and 16°C each with alimentation and food
deprivation) but the highest recovery index was found in crabs without
food provision (16°C). In this condition, the recovery index was twice as
high compared to males maintained at a similar temperature but with
feeding. Prolonged starvation at 16°C may be extremely stressful
conditions for male crabs, during which risk to die probably triggered a
concentration of the reproductive effort in favor of immediate
reproduction. This suggests that plasticity of energy allocation towards
reproduction may be expressed during extremely suboptimal conditions,
which might be a similar strategy as proposed by the terminal investment
hypothesis. The generally relatively fast seminal recovery regardless of
the temperature may explain the kelp crab´s continuous mating throughout
the year. |
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DOI: | 10.5061/dryad.kprr4xh1r |