Fluctuating fecundity parameters and reproductive investment in crayfish: driven by climate or chaos?

Summary 1. The striking variation in fecundity of the noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) was assessed from 1981 to 2009 in the lake Steinsfjorden, Norway. 2. Egg size showed no distinct variation with crayfish size or between years and seems to be a fairly fixed property. Ovarian egg numbers increased linearly with body size, from a mean of 70 eggs at maturity to nearly 250 eggs in the largest individuals. There were strong and significant interannual differences in the size-specific fecundity, and variation in size and among years explained 60% of the observed variance in fecundity. 3. The proportion of mature females in the population ranged from 0.068 to 0.817, with extreme year-to-year fluctuations. The proportion of mature females increased significantly over the years, in parallel with increased temperature, but we were unable to link maturity with ambient temperature either in the same year or in the previous year. 4. While several indices point to increased crayfish productivity with higher temperature in this population, there is also a complex and apparently chaotic interplay between life-cycle attributes, density-dependent parameters and ambient conditions that lead to high variability in annual recruitment. This probably reflects the slow and delayed life-cycle responses to a changing environment.

[1]  F. Allendorf,et al.  In the Light of Evolution III: Two Centuries of Darwin Sackler Colloquium: Human-induced evolution caused by unnatural selection through harvest of wild animals , 2009 .

[2]  Christopher C. Wilmers,et al.  Human predators outpace other agents of trait change in the wild , 2009, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[3]  D. Fraser,et al.  The nature of fisheries‐ and farming‐induced evolution , 2008, Molecular ecology.

[4]  Tom Andersen,et al.  MyLake—A multi-year lake simulation model code suitable for uncertainty and sensitivity analysis simulations , 2007 .

[5]  T. Hurst.  Causes and consequences of winter mortality in fishes , 2007 .

[6]  G. Engelhard,et al.  Climate change and condition of herring (Clupea harengus) explain long-term trends in extent of skipped reproduction , 2006, Oecologia.

[7]  E. Kamler.  Parent–egg–progeny Relationships in Teleost Fishes: An Energetics Perspective , 2005, Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.

[8]  T. Kawecki,et al.  Conceptual issues in local adaptation , 2004 .

[9]  D. O. Hessen,et al.  Plant Exclusion of a Herbivore; Crayfish Population Decline caused by an Invading Waterweed , 2004, Biological Invasions.

[10]  A. Keast.  Food and feeding relationships of young fish in the first weeks after the beginning of exogenous feeding in Lake Opinicon, Ontario , 1980, Environmental Biology of Fishes.

[11]  S. Stearns,et al.  Evolution Illuminated: Salmon and Their Relatives , 2003 .

[12]  D. O. Hessen,et al.  Allocation strategies in crustacean stoichiometry: the potential role of phosphorus in the limitation of reproduction , 2003 .

[13]  B. Sinervo,et al.  Correlational selection and the evolution of genomic architecture , 2002, Heredity.

[14]  E. Charnov.  Reproductive effort, offspring size and benefit/cost ratios in the classification of life histories , 2002 .

[15]  S. Einum,et al.  Highly fecund mothers sacrifice offspring survival to maximize fitness , 2000, Nature.

[16]  S. Einum,et al.  Maternal effects of egg size in brown trout (Salmo trutta): norms of reaction to environmental quality , 1999, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences.

[17]  M. Pigliucci,et al.  Phenotypic Evolution: A Reaction Norm Perspective , 1998 .

[18]  C. Fox,et al.  Maternal effects as adaptations , 1998 .

[19]  J. Hutchings.  Age- and size-specific costs of reproduction within populations of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis , 1994 .

[20]  S. Stearns,et al.  The Evolution of Life Histories , 1992 .

[21]  J. Kozłowski.  Optimal allocation of resources to growth and reproduction: Implications for age and size at maturity. , 1992, Trends in ecology & evolution.

[22]  W. Momot.  Potential for Exploitation of Freshwater Crayfish in Coolwater Systems: Management Guidelines and Issues , 1991 .

[23]  T. Taugbøl,et al.  Reproduction, Molting and Mortality of Female Noble Crayfish, Astacus Astacus (L., 1758), From Five Norwegian Populations Subjected To Indoor Culture Conditions (Decapoda, Astacoidea)1) , 1990 .

[24]  D. O. Hessen,et al.  Depthdistribution, habitat segregation and feeding of the crayfish Astacus astacus in lake Steinsfjorden, S.E. Norway , 1988 .

[25]  D. O. Hessen,et al.  Egg development and lifecycle timing in the noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) , 1987 .

[26]  G. Parker,et al.  Optimal Egg Size and Clutch Size: Effects of Environment and Maternal Phenotype , 1986, The American Naturalist.

[27]  S. Johansen,et al.  Lake enrichment by submersed macrophytes: a norwegian whole-lake experience with Elodea canadensis , 1986 .

[28]  Christopher C. Smith,et al.  The Optimal Balance between Size and Number of Offspring , 1974, The American Naturalist.