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Mating and the depth distribution of an oceanic copepod 1
Author(s) -
Hayward Thomas L.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1981.26.2.0374
Subject(s) - spermatophore , copepod , mating , biology , adaptation (eye) , ecology , zoology , crustacean , neuroscience
Males of the calanoid copepod Pleuromamma piseki frequently have a conspicuous spermatophore within their body cavity. This species is a strong vertical migrator and males with spermatophores migrate to slightly shallower nighttime depths than males lacking them. It is suggested that those copepods with spermatophores are ready to mate and that they aggregate near the surface as an adaptation to increase their chances of finding a mate. During mating, this behavior may be superimposed on the other environmental cues which affect depth distributions and may complicate studies designed to determine the causes and benefits of migration patterns.