Temporal variation in larval biochemical condition at hatching of the red squat lobster Pleuroncodes monodon (Decapoda: Munididae) from Humboldt Current System

ABSTRACT

Environmental variables are pivotal factors for the condition of marine invertebrate species with a complex life cycle, influencing larval biochemical composition, and therefore, indirectly affecting later benthic stages. We herein explore the physiological responses of the fishery resource the red squat lobster (Pleuroncodes monodon) under contrasting environmental conditions of seawater surface temperature and planktonic food availability in the Humboldt Current System (HCS), through the analysis of larval condition and its consequences in the HCS. Larval condition was measured as dry weight, biochemical composition and fatty acids profile at hatching during ‘late summer’ (i.e. March) and ‘early winter’ (i.e. June). Larvae hatching from larger eggs produced in winter months showed a higher size, dry weight and a higher content of bioenergetic fuel (i.e. lipids and essential fatty acids) compared to those from larvae hatching in summer months. Temperature and food availability can to be key driving factors favouring an evolution of temporal variability in larval condition of the red squat lobster. These physiological adaptations provide an extension of the reproductive period of P. monodon, specifically planktonic larval development during ‘early winter’, characterized by a period with restricted food availability and lower temperatures than ‘late summer’.

KEYWORDS:

• Reproduction
• lipids
• proteins
• fatty acids
• energy content
• crustaceans

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the crew of the vessel “Altair” of the company Camanchaca Pesca Sur S.A. for their support during field surveys. This work was funded by the Comisión Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Chile (CONICYT: grants FONDECYT Nº 11140213, BMBF Nº 180034 to AU; FA DI-UCSC).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung [180034]; Fondo de Fomento al Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico [11140213].