Effect of starvation on the nutritional condition of early zoea larvae of the red squat lobster Pleuroncodes monodon (Decapoda,Munididae)

Abstract

One of the key factors affecting larval survival is food availability. This study investigated the influence of starvation on the nutritional condition of zoea I larvae of Pleuroncodes monodon. Experimental treatments with differential periods of starvation and subsequent feeding (point of no return: PNR) in addition to treatments with differential periods of feeding and subsequent starvation (point of reserve saturation: PRS) were used to quantify larval survival and the occurrence of lipid droplets in the hepatopancreas. Larval survival differed significantly depending on the starvation and feeding treatment administered. A high percentage of survival was found for the starvation treatment until day 1 (S1-PNR), for the feeding treatment until day 4 (F4-PRS), and for the continuously fed control groups (FC). Survival was minimal for the starvation treatment lasting until day 7 (S7-PNR) and for the continuously starved control groups (SC). In turn, similar tendencies were observed in the utilization of energy reserves; the lipid droplets significantly decreased throughout the PNR treatment, while the presence of lipid droplets gradually increased during the PRS treatment. All these larval condition parameters can be used in fishery models of population dynamics, which estimate the nutritional status of the offspring and their effects on survival.