Affiliation:
1. V.I. Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute FEB RAS
2. А.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology FEB RAS
Abstract
The brief review summarizes the authors' original data on the role of environmental factors in triggering and synchronization of spawning in natural populations of two species of sea urchins with planktotrophic larvae. It is shown that both species exhibit similar reproductive adaptations aimed at enhancing reproductive success. The high sensitivity of sea urchins, primarily males, to environmental signal(s), most likely to phytoplankton, can be considered as a large-scale adaptation characteristic of many marine invertebrates with external fertilization and planktotrophic larvae and promoting the development of mass spawning events. Night time, as well as the new moon and full moon phases, are modulating factors that increase the likelihood of mass spawning. Longer duration of spawning in males compared to females, longer duration of sperm release during mass spawning compared to that during solitary spawning, longer duration of spawning in males living in an environment with higher level of phytoplankton, and approach of males and females during mass spawning can be considered as small-scale adaptations that increase the likelihood of fertilization.
Publisher
Pacific State Medical University
Reference42 articles.
1. Himmelman JH. Spawning, marine invertebrates. In: Knobil E, Neill JD, editors. Encyclopedia of Reproduction. V. 4. New York: Academic Press; 1999. P. 524–33.
2. Levitan DR, Petersen C. Sperm limitation in the sea. Trends Ecol Evol. 1995;10:228–31. doi: 10.1016/S0169-5347(00)89071-0.
3. Petersen CW, Levitan DR. The Allee effect: a barrier to recovery by exploited species. In: Reynolds JD, Mace GM, Redford KH, Robinson JG, editors. Conservation of exploited species. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2001. P. 281–300.
4. Thorson G. Reproductive and larval ecology of marine bottom invertebrates. Biol Rev Cambridge Phil Soc. 1950;25:1–45. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185X.1950.tb00585.x.
5. Breese WP, Robinson A. Razor clams, Siliqua patula (Dixon): gonadal development, induced spawning and larval rearing. Aquaculture. 1981;22:27–33. doi: 10.1016/0044-8486(81)90130-7.