ENCAPSULATION OF EGGS BY MARINE GASTROPODS: EFFECT OF VARIATION IN CAPSULE FORM ON THE VULNERABILITY OF EMBRYOS TO PREDATION

Representatives of many plant and animal taxa enclose their embryos within some form of protective structure. Inter‐ and intraspecific differences in the morphology of these egg coverings may have profound effects on the development and survival of encapsulated embryos, yet in many taxa little is known about the causes or potential consequences of this variation. Comparisons of capsule morphology among populations of the rocky shore gastropod, Nucella emarginata , revealed significant variation in the thickness of capsule walls, the only barrier separating developing embryos from the external environment. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that thicker‐walled capsules were more resistant to predation by a co‐occurring isopod, Gnorimosphaeroma oregonense , than were thinner‐walled capsules. Control experiments confirmed that these differences in vulnerability were not caused by differences in the palatability of the capsule wall or attractiveness of the capsule contents. The actual mechanism by which thick‐walled capsules differentially protect developing embryos remains unclear, although decreased vulnerability of thick‐walled capsules to these isopods may simply result from increased handling time by predators. Subtle differences in capsule morphology thus appear to have substantial effects on the survival of encapsulated embryos. Hence, predators may have played an important role in selecting for the production of thick‐walled capsules among populations of N. emarginata .