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Protandric hermaphroditism in the whale-fall bivalve mollusc Idas washingtonia

Protandric hermaphroditism in the whale-fall bivalve mollusc Idas washingtonia
Protandric hermaphroditism in the whale-fall bivalve mollusc Idas washingtonia
Whale falls provide abundant but relatively ephemeral, sulphide-rich habitat islands on the deep-sea floor. To explore life-history adaptations to whale-fall habitats, we examined the reproductive biology of Idas washingtonia, a bathymodiolin mussel occurring in abundance on sunken whale skeletons in the deep northeast Pacific Ocean. Analysis of the reproductive biology of I. washingtonia demonstrates strong evidence of protandric hermaphroditism. Developing males were recognised in individuals as small as 1.7 mm shell length and spermatogenesis continued until 7 mm length. At >6.5 mm, males were generally spent and the first previtellogenic oocytes were observed. Although developing females were found as small as 4.5 mm shell length, most well-developed females were >6 mm shell length. Overall, females only formed 12% of the population. As with other modiolid bivalves, fecundity was high and the egg size <50 ?m, indicative of planktotrophic development. The occurrence of protandric hermaphroditism, high fecundity and planktotrophic dispersal may be an adaptation to the ephemeral nature of their habitat. The success of this adaptation is shown by the rapid colonisation of whale falls even though these may have been severely reduced in abundance since the peak of commercial whaling activity in the 20th century.

Whale fall, Idas, Reproduction, Protandric hermaphrodite
0967-0645
1689-1699
Tyler, Paul A.
d1965388-38cc-4c1d-9217-d59dba4dd7f8
Marsh, Leigh
b9d089aa-91e4-4a2e-b716-a7352616c6a2
Baco-Taylor, Amy
8ec0e11d-4262-4277-b164-8990cd27112c
Smith, Craig R.
f930361f-9312-4e0a-9832-26008197eb32
Tyler, Paul A.
d1965388-38cc-4c1d-9217-d59dba4dd7f8
Marsh, Leigh
b9d089aa-91e4-4a2e-b716-a7352616c6a2
Baco-Taylor, Amy
8ec0e11d-4262-4277-b164-8990cd27112c
Smith, Craig R.
f930361f-9312-4e0a-9832-26008197eb32

Tyler, Paul A., Marsh, Leigh, Baco-Taylor, Amy and Smith, Craig R. (2009) Protandric hermaphroditism in the whale-fall bivalve mollusc Idas washingtonia. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 56 (19-20), 1689-1699. (doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2009.05.014).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Whale falls provide abundant but relatively ephemeral, sulphide-rich habitat islands on the deep-sea floor. To explore life-history adaptations to whale-fall habitats, we examined the reproductive biology of Idas washingtonia, a bathymodiolin mussel occurring in abundance on sunken whale skeletons in the deep northeast Pacific Ocean. Analysis of the reproductive biology of I. washingtonia demonstrates strong evidence of protandric hermaphroditism. Developing males were recognised in individuals as small as 1.7 mm shell length and spermatogenesis continued until 7 mm length. At >6.5 mm, males were generally spent and the first previtellogenic oocytes were observed. Although developing females were found as small as 4.5 mm shell length, most well-developed females were >6 mm shell length. Overall, females only formed 12% of the population. As with other modiolid bivalves, fecundity was high and the egg size <50 ?m, indicative of planktotrophic development. The occurrence of protandric hermaphroditism, high fecundity and planktotrophic dispersal may be an adaptation to the ephemeral nature of their habitat. The success of this adaptation is shown by the rapid colonisation of whale falls even though these may have been severely reduced in abundance since the peak of commercial whaling activity in the 20th century.

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More information

Published date: September 2009
Keywords: Whale fall, Idas, Reproduction, Protandric hermaphrodite

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 68877
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/68877
ISSN: 0967-0645
PURE UUID: b2e16c99-6063-456b-99c4-89d9546e6323

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Date deposited: 06 Oct 2009
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 19:11

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Contributors

Author: Paul A. Tyler
Author: Leigh Marsh
Author: Amy Baco-Taylor
Author: Craig R. Smith

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