[en] Echinoid; [en] growth; [en] size-frequency distribution; [en] population dynamics
Abstract :
[en] Multimodal size frequency distribution (i.e., a few individuals growing very fast and a few individuals growing very slowly) among an originally homogeneous cohort of juveniles Paracentrotus lividus is observed in reared conditions when they are 6-24 months old. The splitting of this cohort into homogeneous size-classed subgroups results in an increased growth of the smaller animals that catch up with the bigger ones in 4 months time. This indicates that the smaller animals are not genetically less productive and suggests they were inhibited in their growth due to the presence of larger ones. Supposing such growth inhibition also occurs in the natural environment, the observed mechanism could be very efficient in stabilizing field populations of aggregative echinoid species by maintaining a protected pool of small individuals with high growth potential but inhibited by the density of larger ones.
Bhattacharya, C.G., 1967. A simple method of resolution of a distribution into Gaussian components. Biometrics, Vol. 23, pp. 115-135.
Botsford, L.W., B.D. Smith and J.F. Quinn, 1994. Bimodality in size distributions: the red sea urchin Strongylocentrotus; franciscanus as an example. Ecol. Appl., Vol. 4, pp. 42-50.
Cellario, Ch. and L. Fenaux, 1990. Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck) in culture (larval and benthic phases): parameters of growth observed during two years following metamorphosis. Aquaculture, Vol. 84, pp. 173-188.
Dafni, J. and R. Tobol, 1987. Population structure patterns of a common Red Sea echinoid (Tripneustes gratilla elaiensis). Israel J. Zool., Vol. 34, pp. 191-204.
Ebert, T.A., 1967. Negative growth and longevity in the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson). Science, Vol. 157, 3788: 557-558.
Ebert, T.A., 1973. Estimating growth and mortality rates from size data. Oecologia,Vol. 11, pp. 281-298.
Ebert, T.A., 1975. Growth and mortality of post-larval echinoids. Am. Zool., Vol. 15, pp. 755-775.
Ebert, T.A., 1977. An experimental analysis of sea urchin dynamics and community interactions on a rock jetty. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., Vol. 27, pp. 1-22.
Ebert, T.A., 1981. Estimating mortality from growth parameters and a size distribution when recruitment is periodic. Limnol. Oceanogr., Vol. 26, pp. 764-769.
Ebert, T.A., 1986. A new theory to explain the origin of growth lines in sea urchin spines. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., Vol. 34, pp. 197-199.
Ebert, T.A. and M.P. Russel, 1993. Growth and mortality of subtidal red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) at San Nicolas Island, California, USA: Problem with models. Mar. Biol., Vol. 117, pp. 79-89.
Ebert, T.A., S.C. Schroeter and J.D. Dixon, 1993. Inferring demographic processes from size-frequency distributions: effect of pulsed recruitment on simple models. Fish. Bull. USA, Vol. 91, pp. 237-243.
Frantzis, A. and A. Grémare, 1992. Ingestion, absorption and growth rates of Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) fed different macrophytes. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., Vol. 95, pp. 169-183.
Fridberger, A., T. Fridberger and L. G. Lundin, 1979. Cultivation of sea urchins of five different species under strict artificial conditions. Zoon, Vol. 7, pp. 149-151.
Gage, J.D., 1992. Natural growth bands and growth variability in the sea urchin Echinus esculentus: Results from tetracycline tagging. Mar. Biol., Vol. 114, pp. 607-616.
Gebauer, P. and C.A. Moreno, 1995. Experimental validation of the growth rings of Loxechinus albus (Molina, 1782) in southern Chile (Echinodermata: Echinoidea). Fish. Res., Vol. 21, pp. 423-435.
Guillou, M. and Ch. Michel, 1993. Reproduction and growth of Sphaerechinus granularis (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) in the Glenan archipelago (Brittany). J. Mar. Biol. Ass. UK, Vol. 73, pp. 172-193.
Hasselblad, V., 1966. Estimation of parameters for a mixture of normal distributions. Technometrics, Vol. 8, pp. 431-444.
Hinegardner, R.T., 1969. Growth and development of the laboratory cultured sea urchin. Biol. Bull., Vol. 137, pp. 465-475.
Kenner, M.C., 1992. Population dynamics of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus in a Central California kelp forest: recruitment, mortality, growth and diet. Mar. Biol., Vol. 112, pp. 107-118.
Le Gall, P., 1989. Echinoculture. In Aquaculture, edited by G. Barnabé, Lavoisier. Paris, second edition. Vol. 1, pp. 467-491.
Levitan, D.R., 1988. Density-dependent size regulation and negative growth in the sea urchin Diadema antillarum Philippi. Oecologia, Vol. 76, pp. 627-629.
Levitan, D.R. and S.J. Genovese, 1989. Substratum-dependent predator-prey dynamics: Patch reefs as refuges from gastropod predation. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., Vol. 130, pp. 111-118.
Mac Donald, P.D. and T.J. Pitcher, 1979. Age-groups from size-frequency data: A versatile and efficient method of analyzing distribution mixtures. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. Vol. 36, pp. 987-1001.
Sokal, R.R. and F.J. Rohlf, 1981. Biometry. Freeman, New York, NY, second edition, 859 pp.
Tegner, M.J. and L.A. Levin, 1983. Spiny lobsters and sea urchins: analysis of a predator-prey interaction. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., Vol. 73, pp. 125-150.