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Contrasting relationships between pyloric caecum and gonad growth in the starfish Asterias rubens: combined field and experimental approaches

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2012

Guillemette Joly-Turquin
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biologie Marine (CP 160/15), Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium Laboratoire de l'Environnement Marin (UMR 6539), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, place N. Copernic, F-29780 Plouzané, France
Philippe Dubois
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biologie Marine (CP 160/15), Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Sandra Leyzour
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de l'Environnement Marin (UMR 6539), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, place N. Copernic, F-29780 Plouzané, France
Philippe Pernet
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biologie Marine (CP 160/15), Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Fjo De Ridder
Affiliation:
Department of Fundamental Electricity and Instrumentalisation, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Rik Pintelon
Affiliation:
Department of Fundamental Electricity and Instrumentalisation, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Monique Guillou*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de l'Environnement Marin (UMR 6539), Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, place N. Copernic, F-29780 Plouzané, France
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: M. Guillou, Laboratoire de l'Environnement Marin (UMR 6539), Institut Européen de la Mer, place N. Copernic, F-29780 Plouzané, France email: mguillou@univ-brest.fr

Abstract

The common starfish, Asterias rubens, occurs in fluctuating environments in the North Atlantic. To better understand energy allocation dynamics, we recorded gonad, body wall, and pyloric caeca (storage organ) indices between 2000 and 2004 from three different habitats. We applied a Fourier transform to the data to evaluate and compare the seasonal variation in these indices. Specific effects of emersion and salinity variation were examined in two laboratory studies. Differences in energy allocation were found between sites and temporally within sites. Food availability appeared to be the most important factor controlling allocation dynamics while fluctuating salinity and/or emersion had a significant but smaller impact. Only severe food shortage reduced reproductive investment indicating a preferential energy allocation to gonads. This study is the first to encompass a broad range of populations over several reproduction cycles and emphasizes the ability of A. rubens to adapt to a fluctuating environment.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2012 

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