Life history and distribution of the small south-western Atlantic octopus, Octopus tehuelchus

Although this species has been reported from shallow waters down to 90 m depth, knowledge is almost entirely based on intertidal samples. In this study both intertidal and subtidal samples were taken during 1982–1987, in northern San Matias Gulf (41° S, 63° 30' W). This is a large-egged (eggs: 9–12 mm long ×–5 mm wide, stack of 4–6 mm long) and small-sized (up to 150 g) octopus. Egg laying occurs between autumn and winter. Embryonic development takes about four months (water temperature:–19°C). Large hatchlings (DML: 5·64 mm, TL: 14·23 mm, TW: 0·139 g) emerge over spring and early summer, and development is direct. Maximum size is reached after 17–18 months; mating takes place in summer. Females reduce their feeding activity when they reach maturity, and cease eating while brooding. Mean life-span is two years, but some individuals (mostly females) may live up to three years. Females approaching the beginning of the brooding period move to the subtidal zone, where males outnumber females until the end of summer and females (mostly brooders) then outnumber males. In the intertidal zone sex ratio was 1:1 from December to late March, but in April males outnumber females.
These life-history traits are compared with those of other large-egged octopuses and are discussed in relation to environmental conditions prevailing in the San Matias Gulf.     

Field reproductive dynamics of the invasive slipper limpet, Crepidula fornicata

At least part of the invasive success of the slipper limpet, Crepidula fornicata, in European waters must be due to reproductive characteristics, yet the events underlying the easily-observed brooding and non-brooding periods have not yet been studied in this species. The reproductive system dynamics were therefore investigated using topological histology and quantitative histological techniques. Specimens were sampled twice monthly for 18 months from Bourgneuf Bay, France, a mid-latitudinal point in the European distribution of C. fornicata. Both the testicles and ovaries showed active and resting phases, corresponding to the brooding and non-brooding periods, respectively. Maximum spermatozoan production corresponds to the female brooding period (female incubation of oviposited eggs, mid-March to late August), and allows males to possess full spermatozoan stocks at the height of fresh mature oocyte availability. The year-round presence of mature oocytes in the female gonad is misleading, since the histological aspect reveals that they are vestigial oocytes which slowly degenerate during the brooding period, possibly providing metabolites for the developing oocytes that become increasingly abundant during this period. A complete scheme of the C. fornicata reproductive cycle is presented, showing the events in the major reproductive organs.The seminal vesicle shows high inter-month variability in sperm presence, suggesting year-round copulation and sperm storage in the seminal receptacle. The seminal receptacle shows a uniform covering of spermatozoa throughout the year, suggesting rapid renewal after fertilization, again in line with multiple copulation throughout the year. Given the limited available space on the seminal epithelium, against which all spermatozoa abut, as well as polyandrous copulation, it is postulated that sperm competition may take place.     

Temperature- and size-dependent growth and movement of the North Pacific giant octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) in the Bering Sea

Octopus growth and movement occurs during all life stages and have implications for survival, food web dynamics and reproduction. From 2009 to 2011, 1714 North Pacific giant octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) were tagged and recaptured in the eastern Bering Sea with visible implant elastomers to better understand the ecology of this data-poor species. Over this period, 246 of the tagged individuals were recaptured. In autumn, when temperatures were warmest, E. dofleini had higher growth rates and moved more than in the colder winter months. For both short- and long-term recaptures, small octopus grew faster than large octopus. Movement of octopus over short- and long-term periods was low for very small and very large octopus and high for median-sized octopus, which is likely to be a function of maturity status and reproductive activities. Approximately 80% of recaptures moved less than 2?km from the initial tagging location for time periods up to a year, suggesting long-term site fidelity. As temperature and size may be tightly linked to growth and movement rates for E. dofleini in the eastern Bering Sea, predicted climate warming will likely alter ecological processes for the species and impact their distribution.     

Osmoregulatory role of the brood pouch in the euryhaline Gulf pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli

Many species of pipefish exhibit a reversal of parental roles, in which females insert eggs into the brood pouch of the male where they are incubated until the end of embryonic development. While the significance of the male brood pouch has been examined for over a century, the role of the pouch is still unclear. One possible function is to aid in osmoregulation by buffering embryos from the external environment. To investigate this role, the euryhaline Gulf pipefish, Syngnathus scovelli, was collected and maintained in either a low salinity or a saltwater environment. Changes in plasma and pouch fluid osmolality and morphological changes of the pouch were examined. Brood pouch fluid was similar to male plasma during the early and late stages of the brooding period for low salinity males, but was significantly hyperosmotic during the middle of the brooding period. In saltwater males, brood pouch fluid was similar to plasma during early brooding, but became hyperosmotic as brood time progressed. The brood pouch epithelium of both low salinity and saltwater males contained mitochondria-rich cells. In early brooding saltwater males these cells contained an apical opening into the pouch lumen. Osmotic and morphological differences observed suggest that the brood pouch plays an active role in regulating osmotic concentration of the pouch fluid. Additionally, pouch fluid concentration may be regulated more during early stages of embryonic development.     

Geographic variation in avian incubation periods and parental influences on embryonic temperature

Theory predicts shorter embryonic periods in species with greater embryo mortality risk and smaller body size. Field studies of 80 passerine species on three continents yielded data that largely conflicted with theory; incubation (embryonic) periods were longer rather than shorter in smaller species, and egg (embryo) mortality risk explained some variation within regions, but did not explain larger differences in incubation periods among geographic regions. Incubation behavior of parents seems to explain these discrepancies. Bird embryos are effectively ectothermic and depend on warmth provided by parents sitting on the eggs to attain proper temperatures for development. Parents of smaller species, plus tropical and southern hemisphere species, commonly exhibited lower nest attentiveness (percent of time spent on the nest incubating) than larger and northern hemisphere species. Lower nest attentiveness produced cooler minimum and average embryonic temperatures that were correlated with longer incubation periods independent of nest predation risk or body size. We experimentally tested this correlation by swapping eggs of species with cool incubation temperatures with eggs of species with warm incubation temperatures and similar egg mass. Incubation periods changed (shortened or lengthened) as expected and verified the importance of egg temperature on development rate. Slower development resulting from cooler temperatures may simply be a cost imposed on embryos by parents and may not enhance offspring quality. At the same time, incubation periods of transferred eggs did not match host species and reflect intrinsic differences among species that may result from nest predation and other selection pressures. Thus, geographic variation in embryonic development may reflect more complex interactions than previously recognized.     

A trade-off between embryonic development rate and immune function of avian offspring is revealed by considering embryonic temperature

Long embryonic periods are assumed to reflect slower intrinsic development that are thought to trade off to allow enhanced physiological systems, such as immune function. Yet, the relatively rare studies of this trade-off in avian offspring have not found the expected trade-off. Theory and tests have not taken into account the strong extrinsic effects of temperature on embryonic periods of birds. Here, we show that length of the embryonic period did not explain variation in two measures of immune function when temperature was ignored, based on studies of 34 Passerine species in tropical Venezuela (23 species) and north temperate Arizona (11 species). Variation in immune function was explained when embryonic periods were corrected for average embryonic temperature, in order to better estimate intrinsic rates of development. Immune function of offspring trades off with intrinsic rates of embryonic development once the extrinsic effects of embryonic temperatures are taken into account.     

Quantification of the age-pigment lipofuscin in known-age octopus (Octopus pallidus): A potential tool for age determination

Stylet increment analysis (SIA) is the key method to age octopus, however, currently it is not reliable for all species. The suitability of the age-pigment lipofuscin as an alternative ageing method for octopus was examined. To determine the relationship between age and lipofuscin known-age octopus (Octopus pallidus) were reared in the laboratory from hatching to eight months old. Twenty-eight individuals at three different ages (3, 6 and 8 months old) were collected for lipofuscin analysis. The first two age groups (n = 5 each) were reared under ambient temperatures, while the oldest group (n = 18) was reared under three different controlled temperature regimes (n = 6 per treatment). For comparison, five wild O. pallidus were also collected for lipofuscin analysis and aged using SIA. Lipofuscin was analysed in the brain tissue and quantified at a commercial ageing centre using standard histological methods. Lipofuscin granules were clearly discernable in the brain tissue, and there was a strong exponential relationship between age and lipofuscin (R² = 0.86). Lipofuscin concentration was not related to sex, temperature or body weight in same-age individuals. Except for one individual, the predicted age of the wild animals, based on the relationship between lipofuscin and age, was close to the age determined using SIA. This study is the first to report lipofuscin in an octopus species and shows that lipofuscin has excellent potential as an alternative ageing method for octopus. This research will have important applications for species which cannot be reliably aged using current ageing methods.     

Embryonic photoperiodic sensitivity in two species of fleshflies, Parasarcophaga similis and Boettcherisca septentrionalis

Embryonic photoperiodic sensitivity has been shown experimentally to exist in two species of larvipositing fleshflies, Parasarcophaga similis and Boettcherisca septentrionalis. The type of development of the puparia (with or without diapause) is determined by accumulated photoperiodic information which the larvae received during the final embryonic period of development and after emergence from the mother. The comparative importance of either of the two periods of ontogenesis differs with species, and depends on the sequence of alternate photoperiodic régimes. In the postembryonic period of development the first 10 days after the emergence of the larvae from the mother are the most important. The number of inductive photoperiodic cycles in different species of sarcophagids is compared.     

Using Age-Based Life History Data to Investigate the Life Cycle and Vulnerability of Octopus cyanea

Octopus cyanea is taken as an unregulated, recreationally fished species from the intertidal reefs of Ningaloo, Western Australia. Yet despite its exploitation and importance in many artisanal fisheries throughout the world, little is known about its life history, ecology and vulnerability. We used stylet increment analysis to age a wild O. cyanea population for the first time and gonad histology to examine their reproductive characteristics. O. cyanea conforms to many cephalopod life history generalisations having rapid, non-asymptotic growth, a short life-span and high levels of mortality. Males were found to mature at much younger ages and sizes than females with reproductive activity concentrated in the spring and summer months. The female dominated sex-ratios in association with female brooding behaviours also suggest that larger conspicuous females may be more prone to capture and suggests that this intertidal octopus population has the potential to be negatively impacted in an unregulated fishery. Size at age and maturity comparisons between our temperate bordering population and lower latitude Tanzanian and Hawaiian populations indicated stark differences in growth rates that correlate with water temperatures. The variability in life history traits between global populations suggests that management of O. cyanea populations should be tailored to each unique set of life history characteristics and that stylet increment analysis may provide the integrity needed to accurately assess this.     

Movement, injuries and growth of members of a natural population of the Pacific pygmy octopus, Octopus digueti

Sampling inadequacies and an inability to distinguish age classes have limited our knowledge of octopus biology in nature. Using an artificial shelter sampling technique (Voight, 1988 a ), and defining mature males by the presence of enlarged suckers (Voight, In press), an intertidal population of Octopus digueti was monitored for one year.
In total, 803 octopuses were narcotized; the mass, sex, arm injuries and reproductive condition of each octopus were recorded. Captures were more frequent in lower intertidal areas offering higher shelter availability and a more moderate environment. Capture rates, assumed to indicate octopus movement, correlated with sea temperature except during full moon periods when they were reduced. Over 26%, of the octopuses handled had damaged arms or arm tips, with dorsal arm pairs more often injured. The overall sex ratio was significantly male biased, probably due to maturity-linked mobility differences between the sexes.
Reproduction occurred throughout the year; reproductively competent adults, brooding females and juveniles were present every month. However, annual temperature oscillations synchronize spring hatching of eggs spawned from winter to early spring, creating a clear spring cohort. Growth and age at maturity of males in the spring and autumn cohorts were estimated. Variance was too high for these parameters to be estimated in the winter cohort. Growth rates of males over 12 weeks of age did not differ from those reported in laboratory rearing studies. Estimated average age at maturity ranged from 20 to 32 weeks, depending on temperature.     

METABOLISM DURING EMBRYONIC AND METAMORPHIC DEVELOPMENT OF INSECTS

1. For species of insects that deposit their eggs on foliage, as Leptinotarsa decemlineata, Crioceris asparagi, and Anasa tristis, the rates of metabolism as measured by the CO₂ output or the oxygen intake indicate, during embryonic development, a short formative period, followed by a very active extended growth. Those species that deposit their eggs in the soil, as Cotinis nitida and Popillia japonica, show that the formative period is greatly extended and the growth period similarly lengthened. 2. It has been shown from metabolism experiments that intensive histolysis occurs during the prepupal period and becomes less intensive during pupal development. 3. Metabolism experiments show a greater amount of energy change during embryonic development as compared to the energy developed during metamorphosis. This is shown by the greater CO₂ output and by the oxygen intake. 4. Low respiratory quotients, varying from 0.42 to 0.71, have been obtained during the embryonic and pupal development of insects, resembling similar low quotients obtained with hibernating forms. 5. Changes from a neutral to an acid reaction (pH 6.8 to 5.9) have been observed to take place in some species during prepupal and early pupal development. As metamorphosis is completed a converse change occurs (pH 5.9 to 6.8). Changes in pH from an acid to neutral reaction were also observed to take place in some species, as Cotinis nitida and Hylemyia cilicrura, during embryonic development.     

Reptilian endothermy: a field study of thermoregulation by brooding diamond pythons

Miniature temperature-sensitive radiotransmitters were surgically implanted into free-ranging adult diamond pythons ( Morelia s. spilota ), which are medium-sized boid snakes of south-eastern Australia. Four female pythons oviposited during the study, and constructed incubation mounds. These apparently provided excellent insulation, and the snakes maintained high (approx. 31 C) and relatively constant body temperatures throughout the two-month incubation period. They apparently maintained these temperatures primarily by endogenous heat production (shivering thermogenesis), but also basked briefly on most mornings.
Brooding females maintained a body temperature differential above ambient of about 9C, occasionally up to 13C; their temperatures were significantly higher amd less variable than those of non-brooding females or males. The energetic cost of brooding must be high, but these costs may be outweighed by the benefits of rapid embryonic development and high embryonic survivorship.     

Brooding sea anemones (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria): paragons of diversity in mode,morphology, and maternity

Brooding has been reported in at least 57 species of sea anemone. More than three quarters (44/57) of the species that are known to brood have been described since the last comprehensive treatment of brooding in this lineage. Different authors focusing on different taxonomic groups within sea anemones over the last 115 years have collectively produced an imprecise and inconsistent set of terminology with respect to brooding in general and to the variety of conditions of brooding in particular. In this review, I characterize brooding as a behavior in which offspring are retained by the adult to at least the juvenile stage, in contrast with the more common release of eggs, embryos, or larvae. Brooding occurs in two primary modes, internal and external, in which offspring may be produced via sexual or asexual means. I categorize structures associated with external brooding in three types: pits, chambers, and grooves. Early inferences that external brooding has a primarily bipolar distribution continue to be supported with current data, but it is doubtful that small size and simultaneous hermaphroditism are correlated with brooding in sea anemones. Finally, I identify open questions about brooding in sea anemones and suggest future lines of research that will broaden our understanding of this phenomenon.     

Prenatal growth in the cynomolgus and rhesus macaque (Macaca fascicularis and Macaca mulatta): A comparison by ultrasonography

The rhesus monkey has played an important role in the history of reproductive research. Because of limitations on the exportation and availability of this species, several other species of nonhuman primates have been considered as alternate models. Among them is the crab-eating, or cynomolgus, macaque (Macaca fascicularis), which displays similarities in developmental, reproductive, and physiological parameters. The use of both species of macaques for pregnancy-related studies necessitates the assessment of differences in growth and development through gestation. Observations during the embryonic and fetal periods in both species have been compared with diagnostic ultrasound. Results indicate no significant differences in size during the embryonic and early fetal periods, but a greater acceleration of growth in the rhesus begins at approximately 100–110 gestational days (GD). Analysis of embryonic and fetal heart rates indicate no differences between the two species. Normal predictive values for a variety of growth parameters including gestational sac, greatest length, biparietal diameter, and femur length have boon calculated by multiple regression analysis. These charts have proven useful for confirming the gestational age after timed matings and for predicting the age of animals for which the conception date is not known.     

Seasonal nutritional status in Norway lobsters,Nephrops norvegicus (L.): are females nutritionally compromised over the winter?

Norway lobsters, Nephrops norvegicus, are sediment-dwelling decapod crustaceans that excavate burrows from which they make short excursions to feed by predation and scavenging. The females of this species are known to reside within their burrows for an extended period of time over the winter while brooding their eggs. The aim of this study was to assess the likelihood of these females being able to feed during this brooding period. Biophysical and biochemical measurements that had previously been shown to change with starvation under laboratory conditions in male N. norvegicus were taken for female N. norvegicus under similar conditions. These measurements were also compared in both sexes obtained from monthly trawl samples from the Clyde Sea Area, Scotland, UK, together with trawl composition data. The laboratory study showed that the hepatosomatic index, and the copper, lipid and water content of the hepatopancreas can be used as indicators of the state of starvation in females, as in males. In the wild, both sexes have reduced nutritional status during the winter, but not to the degree seen in animals starved for 20 weeks in aquarium trials. This study does not support the hypothesis that females cease feeding over winter, during their brooding period. Firstly, some females were unable to sustain ovary development during starvation under controlled conditions, contrary to field observations. Secondly, field data suggest that there is no sex-specific reduction in nutritional status.     

Temperature acclimation in Actinia equina L. (Anthozoa)

Respiratory adaptation to different sea temperatures on the Natal (east) and Table Bay (west) coasts of southern Africa is demonstrated in Actinia equina L. Animals are able to acclimate to lower sea temperatures but are unable to adapt to an increase of 3 °C or more above summer sea temperatures. Acclimation to elevated water temperatures may be limited by thermal sensitivity of the tissues and by lack of feeding when under thermal stress.The successful colonization of the Natal littoral zone by A. equina may be attributed partially to metabolic adaptability but also to its brooding ability, tolerance of desiccation, and capacity to retain water within the coelenteron. Slow exudation of this water enables evaporative cooling of the tissues during low tide. Other actinian species from Natal lack this range of features and are hence limited to damp habitats at lower tidal levels.     

Postural Shifts During Egg‐Brooding and Their Impact on Egg Water Balance in Children’s Pythons (Antaresia childreni)

Parental care typically consists of distinct behavioral components that are balanced to address the multiple needs of offspring. Female pythons exhibit post‐oviposition parental care in which they coil around their parchment‐shelled eggs throughout incubation (40–80 d). Subtle postural shifts during egg‐brooding facilitate embryonic gas exchange but may entail hydric costs to the clutch. This study used a simple behavioral model to (1) further quantify the costs and benefits of specific parental behaviors to developing offspring and (2) determine the influence that developmental stage and relative clutch mass have on parental behavior. Although previous research has demonstrated that egg‐brooding as a whole reduces clutch water loss, we hypothesized that egg‐brooding female pythons specifically adopt a tightly coiled posture to conserve embryonic water, but must make postural adjustments to enhance gas exchange between the clutch and nest environments at the cost of increased clutch water loss. We measured rates of water loss in brooding Children’s pythons (Antaresia childreni) and their respective clutches (i.e., brooding units) and monitored changes in brooding posture. We conducted serial trials to elucidate the effect of developmental stage on postural adjustments and water loss. Results demonstrated that the proportion of time females spent in a tightly coiled posture was inversely related to mean water loss from the brooding unit. Analyses indicated that slight adjustments in posture led to bursts in brooding unit water loss. Indeed, brooding unit water loss during postural adjustments was significantly higher than during tight coiling. These findings imply that python egg‐brooding provides an adjustable diffusive barrier that leads to discontinuous gas exchange, which minimizes clutch water loss. Because females with larger relative clutch masses spent more time tightly coiled, egg‐brooding female pythons may use a ‘water first’ strategy in which they intentionally conserve clutch water at the cost of reduced embryonic respiratory gas exchange.     

High-resolution Live Imaging of Cell Behavior in the Developing Neuroepithelium

The embryonic spinal cord consists of cycling neural progenitor cells that give rise to a large percentage of the neuronal and glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Although much is known about the molecular mechanisms that pattern the spinal cord and elicit neuronal differentiation^{1, 2}, we lack a deep understanding of these early events at the level of cell behavior. It is thus critical to study the behavior of neural progenitors in real time as they undergo neurogenesis.In the past, real-time imaging of early embryonic tissue has been limited by cell/tissue viability in culture as well as the phototoxic effects of fluorescent imaging. Here we present a novel assay for imaging such tissue for long periods of time, utilizing a novel ex vivo slice culture protocol and wide-field fluorescence microscopy (Fig. 1). This approach achieves long-term time-lapse monitoring of chick embryonic spinal cord progenitor cells with high spatial and temporal resolution.This assay may be modified to image a range of embryonic tissues^{3, 4} In addition to the observation of cellular and sub-cellular behaviors, the development of novel and highly sensitive reporters for gene activity (for example, Notch signaling⁵) makes this assay a powerful tool with which to understand how signaling regulates cell behavior during embryonic development.