Biol. Bull. Sign up for etocs!
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Zimmerman, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pechenik, J. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Zimmerman, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Pechenik, J. A.

The Biological Bulletin, Vol 180, Issue 3 372-386, Copyright © 1991 by Marine Biological Laboratory

DEVELOPMENT AND REPRODUCTION

How Do Temperature and Salinity Affect Relative Rates of Growth, Morphological Differentiation, and Time to Metamorphic Competence in Larvae of the Marine Gastropod Crepidula plana?

K. M. Zimmerman and J. A. Pechenik
Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155

The influence of environmental conditions on rates of larval growth has been documented many times for various marine mollusks. But the factors that influence rates of morphological and physiological differentiation, particularly the rate at which larvae within a population become competent to metamorphose, remain obscure. In four experiments, we reared larvae of the gastropod Crepidula plana at 29{deg}C, 25{deg}C, and 20{deg}C at 30 ppt salinity, and in two other experiments, in salinities between 4-30 ppt at 25{deg}C. Rates of shell growth and morphological differentiation, and rates of becoming competent within populations were recorded. Larvae were considered to be competent to metamorphose if they could be stimulated to metamorphose by exposure to a high concentration of KCl (20 mM above ambient). Larvae consistently became competent faster at higher temperatures, but in only one of four experiments did temperature also consistently increase the rates of growth and morphological differentiation. Larvae took longer to become competent when reared at lower salinities, but the effects were poorly predicted by the influence of salinity on rates of growth and morphological differentiation. Competent larvae could also not be recognized by shell length; many individuals were competent at shell lengths of 600-800 {mu}m, while many other individuals were still not competent at sizes exceeding 1000 {mu}m. At 29{deg}C, many individuals became competent at smaller sizes than those reared at lower temperatures. Presence of gill filaments or shell brims also did not correlate with individual metamorphic competence. The data suggest that growth rate, rate of morphological differentiation, and time required for larvae of C. plana to become competent can be uncoupled markedly by shifts in rearing conditions.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Biol. Bull.Home page
J. A. Pechenik, W. Li, and D. E. Cochrane
Timing Is Everything: The Effects of Putative Dopamine Antagonists on Metamorphosis Vary With Larval Age and Experimental Duration in the Prosobranch Gastropod Crepidula fornicata
Biol. Bull., April 1, 2002; 202(2): 137 - 147.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1991 by the Marine Biological Laboratory.