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Freshwater Shrimps (freshwater + shrimp)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

MAINTENANCE OF ANDRODIOECY IN THE FRESHWATER SHRIMP, EULIMNADIA TEXANA: ESTIMATES OF INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN TWO POPULATIONS

EVOLUTION, Issue 3 2000
Stephen C. Weeks
Abstract., Androdioecy is an uncommon form of reproduction in which males coexist with hermaphrodites. Androdioecy is thought to be difficult to evolve in species that regularly inbreed. The freshwater shrimp Eulimnadia texana has recently been described as both androdioecious and highly selfing and is thus anomalous. Inbreeding depression is one factor that may maintain males in these populations. Here we examine the extent of "late" inbreeding depression (after sexual maturity) in these clam shrimp using two tests: (1) comparing the fitness of shrimp varying in their levels of individual heterozygosity from two natural populations that differ in overall genetic diversity; and (2) specifically outcrossing and selfing shrimp from these same populations and comparing fitness of the resulting offspring. The effects of inbreeding differed within each population. In the more genetically diverse population, fecundity, size, and mortality were significantly reduced in inbred shrimp. In the less genetically diverse population, none of the fitness measures was significantly lowered in selfed shrimp. Combining estimates of early inbreeding depression from a previous study with current estimates of late inbreeding depression suggests that inbreeding depression is substantial (,= 0.68) in the more diverse population and somewhat lower (,= 0.50) in the less diverse population. However, given that males have higher mortality rates than hermaphrodites, neither estimate of inbreeding depression is large enough to account for the maintenance of males in either population by inbreeding depression alone. Thus, the stability of androdioecy in this system is likely only if hermaphrodites are unable to self-fertilize many of their own eggs when not mated to a male or if male mating success is generally high (or at least high when males are rare). Patterns of fitness responses in the two populations were consistent with the hypothesis that inbreeding depression is caused by partially recessive deleterious alleles, although a formal test of this hypothesis still needs to be conducted. [source]

Predator,prey interactions in river networks: comparing shrimp spatial refugia in two drainage basins

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2009
ALAN P. COVICH
Summary 1.,Analysis of drainage networks provides a framework to evaluate the densities and distributions of prey species relative to locations of their predators. Upstream migration by diadromous shrimp (Atya lanipes and Xiphocaris elongata) during their life cycle provides access to headwater refugia from fish predation, which is intense in estuaries and coastal rivers. 2.,We postulate that geomorphic barriers (such as large, steep waterfalls >3.5 m in height), can directly limit the distribution of predatory fishes and, indirectly, affect the densities of their prey (freshwater shrimps) in headwater streams. 3.,We compared densities of shrimp in pools above and below waterfalls, in four headwater tributaries in two river basins of the Luquillo Mountains of northeastern Puerto Rico. We measured shrimp densities twice a year over 8 years (1998,2005) in Prieta, Toronja, Bisley 3 and Bisley 5 streams, which differ in drainage network positions relative to steep waterfalls in Río Espíritu Santo and Río Mameyes. 4.,Predatory fishes are absent in the Prieta and Toronja pools and present in Bisely 3 and in lower Bisley 5 pools. Atya lanipes and X. elongata rarely occur in the Bisley streams where predatory fishes are present but these shrimps are abundant in Prieta and Toronja, streams lacking predatory fishes. 5.,The mean carapace length of X. elongata is longer in pools where fish are present (Bisley 3 and lower Bisley 5) than in pools lacking fish (Prieta, Toronja, Upper Bisley 5). The increased body size is primarily due to significantly longer rostrums of individuals in stream reaches with fish (below waterfall barriers) than in those reaches lacking fish (above waterfall barriers). Rostrum length may be an adaptation to avoid predation by visually feeding fishes. 6.,Atya lanipes and X. elongata distributions and densities were predicted primarily by drainage network position relative to the presence or absence of predatory fishes. High, steep waterfalls effectively impeded fish from moving upstream and created a spatial refuge. Xiphocaris elongata may rely on size refugia (longer rostrum) to minimize predation where spatial refugia are lacking. [source]

Day,night changes in the spatial distribution and habitat preferences of freshwater shrimps, Gammarus pulex, in a stony stream

FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005
J. M. ELLIOTT
Summary 1. As many invertebrates are nocturnal, their spatial distribution and habitat preferences may change from day to night. Both aspects are examined for Gammarus pulex by testing the hypotheses: (i) a power function was a suitable model for the spatial distribution of the shrimps in both day and night; (ii) diurnal and nocturnal spatial distributions were significantly different; (iii) diurnal and nocturnal habitat preferences were significantly different. Five different life-stages were treated separately. To ensure that the conclusions were consistent, large samples were taken near midday and midnight in April, June and November over 4 years at two sites about 3 km apart in a stony stream: downstream (n = 30) and upstream (n = 50). 2. The first and second hypotheses were supported at both sites. A power function, relating spatial variance (s2) to mean (m), was an excellent fit in all analyses (P < 0.001, r2 > 0.91), i.e. the spatial variance was density-dependent. All five life-stages were aggregated in the day. At night, the degree of aggregation increased for juveniles at higher densities but decreased for juveniles at lower densities, increased for immature females and males, but decreased slightly for mature females and especially mature males, the latter being close to a random distribution. There were no significant differences between sites, in spite of the lower numbers at the downstream site. 3. The third hypothesis was tested at only the upstream site and supported by comparisons between shrimp densities and 13 physical variables (distance from bank, water depth, water velocity, ten particle size-classes), and three non-physical variables (dry weights of bryophytes, leaf material, organic detritus). During the day, densities were strongly related to particle sizes with the following preferences: 0.5,8 mm for juveniles, 8,256 mm for the other life-stages with a weaker relationship for males. There were no significant positive relationships with the other variables, apart from bryophytes for immature shrimps and adults. At night, densities were unrelated to particle size; juveniles and immature shrimps preferred low water velocities near the banks, often where leaf material and organic detritus accumulated, females often preferred medium water velocities slightly away from the banks, and males showed no habitat preferences. 4. Day samples do not provide a complete picture of habitat preferences and probably identify refuge habitats. Day,night changes in spatial distribution and habitat preferences are an essential part of the behavioural dynamics of the shrimps and should be investigated in other species. [source]

Toward Quantifying the Relative Importance of Invertebrate Consumption and Bioturbation in Puerto Rican Streams

BIOTROPICA, Issue 4 2008
Wyatt.
ABSTRACT Although many tropical stream consumers have large effects on resource quantity and quality, little is known about the relative importance of consumption versus bioturbation. We quantified egestion rates of freshwater shrimps (Atya spp. and Xiphocaris elongata) and mayflies (Leptophlebiidae) in two forest streams within the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Consumer body size was a strong predictor of egestion rates, with mass-specific egestion rates declining with body size and per-individual egestion rates increasing with body size. We used these egestion rates, together with published rates of epilithon removal by consumers and epilithon accrual by particle deposition and periphytic growth (i.e., with and without consumer access), to estimate the importance of consumption and bioturbation after storm events and during base-flow conditions. Our estimates suggest that direct consumption of epilithon can only account for a minor proportion (< 5%) of material removed following storm events, with most removal likely resulting from bioturbation. During base-flow conditions, we found that consumers (largely shrimps) may be capable of consuming a significant proportion of the material that would otherwise accrue on benthic substrata, but this result was limited to one high-elevation site. Our study suggests that bioturbation is the dominant process that redistributes and entrains fine particles after storm events, and that a variable fraction of deposited and accrued benthic material may be consumed during base-flow conditions. Our results underscore the importance of tropical stream animals in altering the benthic environment through both consumption and bioturbation, and suggest that consumer-mediated material cycling is likely to be context dependent. RESUMEN A pesar de que muchos de los consumidores en ríos tropicales tienen grandes efectos en la cantidad y calidad de los recursos, se sabe poco sobre la importancia relativa del consumo y los biodisturbios. Por ello, cuantificamos las tasas de egestión de los camarones (Atya spp. y Xiphocaris elongata) y los efemerópteros (Leptophlebiidae) en dos quebradas dentro del Bosque Experimental de Luquillo, Puerto Rico. El tamaño corporal de los consumidores fue un buen indicador de las tasas de egestión, y las tasas de egestión por masa disminuyeron con el tamaño corporal y las por individuo aumentaron con el tamaño corporal. Usamos estas tasas de egestión, junto con tasa publicadas de remoción de perifiton por los consumidores y acumulación de epiliton por la deposición y el crecimiento de perifiton (ej. con y sin consumidores), para estimar la importancia del consumo y los biodisturbios luego de tormentas y durante condiciones de flujo basal. Nuestros resultados sugieren que el consumo directo de epiliton representa una proporción menor (< 5%) del material removido luego de las tormentas, la mayor parte de la remoción es probablemente el resultado de los biodisturbios. Durante condiciones de flujo basal, encontramos que los consumidores (mayormente camarones) pueden ser capaces de consumir una proporción importante del material que de otra forma se acumularía sobre el substrato béntico, pero este resultado se limita a uno solo de los sitios. Nuestro estudio sugiere que los biodisturbios son el proceso que predomina en la redistribución y mueve partículas luego de las tormentas, y que una fracción variable del material béntico depositado y acumulado puede ser consumida durante condiciones de flujo basal. Nuestros resultados enfatizan la importancia de los animales en alterar el ambiente béntico de los ríos tropicales a través del consumo y los biodisturbios, y sugiere que el reciclaje de los materiales por los consumidores es un proceso que probablemente depende del contexto. [source]