BIOTIC

BIOTIC Species Information for Bathyporeia pelagica

Researched by

Lizzie Tyler

Data supplied by

University of Sheffield

Refereed by

This information is not refereed.

Reproduction/Life History

Reproductive type

Gonochoristic

Developmental mechanism

Ovoviviparous
Brooding

Reproductive Season

Spring and autumn

Reproductive Location

As adult

Reproductive frequency

Annual episodic

Regeneration potential

Life span

1 year

Age at reproductive maturity

Generation time

<1 year

Fecundity

Egg/propagule size

Fertilization type

Internal

Larvae/Juveniles
Larval/Juvenile dispersal potential	10-100m	Larval settlement period	Insufficient information
Duration of larval stage

Reproduction Preferences Additional Information

Annual reproductive cycle
Fish & Preece (1970) described the reproductive cycle of Bathyporeia spp. The sexes are separate and pair whilst swimming, but there is no prolonged precopula behaviour. Mature females of Bathyporeia pelagica may produce a sequence of broods. Whilst one set of embryos develop in the brood pouch, oogonia enlarge in the ovary. Development of an egg to the stage when it is released as a juveniles takes about 15 days, and this cycle is thought to be related to the phases of the moon (Watkin, 1939b; Fish, 1975). Females produce up to 15 eggs (J. Fish, pers. comm.). Two reproductive peaks occur in spring and autumn suggesting that the over-wintering population matures slowly and reproduces in the spring, and their progeny mature rapidly over 5 months to reproduce in the autumn of the same year. Fish & Preece (1970) found that between November and February the population of Bathyporeia pelagica on a sandy beach at Ynyslas, west Wales, consisted entirely of non-reproducing juveniles. Salvat (1967) recorded a similar generation delay for some populations of species on the west coast of France, but in other regions reported reproduction throughout the year. It is likely that temperature may be an important factor. During the breeding season, gravid females are readily identified by the presence of blue eggs in the brood chamber (Fish & Fish, 1996). The ratio of the sexes in Bathyporeia pelagica varies throughout the year unlike Bathyporeia pilosa where there is a continuous dominance of females in the population (Fish & Preece, 1970).

Reproduction References

Fish & Fish, 1996, Watkin, 1939(b), Salvat, 1967, Fish & Preece, 1970, Fish, 1975, Julie Bremner, unpub data,