Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Apparent Sibling Rivalry In The Freshwater Clam Sphaerium Striatinum, Mark Beekey, Ronald H. Karlson
Apparent Sibling Rivalry In The Freshwater Clam Sphaerium Striatinum, Mark Beekey, Ronald H. Karlson
Biology Faculty Publications
In Sphaerium striatinum, a freshwater brooding bivalve, up to 97.5% of offspring that adults initially produce fail to reach independence. Marsupial sacs, specialized extensions of gill filaments that act as nurseries, initially contain multiple offspring in various sizes and stages of development. However, by the time offspring reach later stages of development, marsupial sacs typically contain only one offspring. Brood mortality is hypothesized to be the result of competition among embryos for nutrients and/or space. Sphaeriid eggs do not contain enough yolk for offspring to complete development. Adults supply additional nutrients required to reach independence. Brood capacity is limited by …
Effect Of Food Availability On Reproduction And Brood Size In A Freshwater Brooding Bivalve, Mark Beekey, Ronald H. Karlson
Effect Of Food Availability On Reproduction And Brood Size In A Freshwater Brooding Bivalve, Mark Beekey, Ronald H. Karlson
Biology Faculty Publications
Brood size is often constrained by the amount of energy available to produce offspring. Yet, energetic constraints may not be as important if the physical capacity to brood offspring is limited. Investigating the relative importance of energetic and physical constraints on brood size is necessary to understand how reproductive strategies are molded by natural selection. We investigated how food availability affects brood size in Sphaerium striatinum, a freshwater bivalve. We reared juveniles to adulthood under three food levels in a common garden experiment. The number of reproductive attempts, brood size, and stage of offspring development were measured. Clams reared …