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Changes in life cycle of the Ponto‐Caspian amphipod Pontogammarus robustoides at in the northernmost part of its range
Author(s) -
Berezidezhda A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/maec.12360
Subject(s) - amphipoda , littoral zone , abundance (ecology) , fecundity , biology , range (aeronautics) , ecology , population , habitat , biomass (ecology) , salinity , gammarus , isopoda , fishery , oceanography , crustacean , materials science , demography , sociology , geology , composite material
The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of abundance, population structure and reproductive variables of the invasive Ponto‐Caspian amphipod Pontogammarus robustoides in its northernmost population, located in the Baltic Sea. Pontogammarus robustoides population variables were studied every month from May to October over 7 years (2002–2008) at two locations in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, one site in the north and one in the south. Observations of macrozoobenthos were also conducted once per year in July at 12 sites in this gulf during 2002–2014. This was to monitor the distribution area of P. robustoides and its abundance/biomass in different parts of the Gulf. The results showed that P. robustoides is a widely spread species in the Gulf, preferring to colonize stone‐sandy, vegetated and littoral habitats, from the shore to a depth of 5 m, with water salinity of 0.2–3 ppt. This species co‐exists with other amphipods, such as the Baikalian Gmelinoides fasciatus, the North Atlantic Gammarus tigrinus and the native Gammarus spp. The abundance of P. robustoides varied between the two study sites and among years (2002–2008), reaching a maximum level of 1000 ind.·m −2 for adults and 3000 ind.·m −2 for juveniles. The temperature‐dependent duration of egg development (embryogenesis) in the amphipod and the annual number of generations in P. robustoides populations varied among years. Three generations were recorded in most years and two generations in the coldest years. Clutch size (or fecundity) was dependent on the body length of female and averaged between 33 and 43 eggs per clutch for females ranging in body length from 11.2 to 12.2 mm. A maximum of 75 eggs were observed in a female with a body length of 16 mm. This paper concludes that life‐cycle variables change when P. robustoides spreads from the southern (Ponto‐Caspian region) to northern (Baltic Sea) range areas. In the studied northernmost location, the fecundity and number of generations of this amphipod were 1.5–2‐fold lower compared with the more southern locations. In addition, these variables and P. robustoides abundance were different between the coldest and warmest years at study sites that testify about their distinct dependence on local environmental conditions; further changes in life cycle of this species may be expected together with current climate warming.