Life History Relationships Between the Bopyrid Isopod Probopyrus pandalicola and of its Freshwater Shrimp Hosts Palaemonetes paludosus
1980; University of Notre Dame; Volume: 104; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/2424966
ISSN1938-4238
Autores Tópico(s)Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
ResumoAbstract: Data are provided on the reproduction, attachment, postlarva! development and population structure of the parasitic isopod, Probopyrus pandalicola, on its shrimp host, Palaemonetes paludosus, collected monthly for 2 years from a site in the Wakulla River and a tributary, McBride's Slough, Wakulla Co., Florida. Ovigerous P. pandalicola occurred from January to October, whereas ovigerous hosts occurred only from January to September. Brood size, which ranged from 350-11,850 young, increased exponentially with length of the female, and was independent of host sex. Mean brood size and length of ovigerous P. pandalicola increased from late winter to a peak in March. There was a second smaller peak in June with a subsequent decline to low levels for the remainder of the breeding season. Cryptoniscus larvae occurred on shrimp 9-39 mm long from April-October. Growth of body width in relation to body length in male and female isopods was positively allometric. The length of female and male parasites was positively correlated with the length of the host and female parasite, respectively. Host and parasite longevity was ca. 1 year. Death of the parasite rarely preceded host death. These data are compared with that for other epicaridean isopods.
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