TY - JOUR
T1 - The cryptogenic bait worm Diopatra biscayensis Fauchald et al., 2012 (Annelida: Onuphidae) - Revisiting its history, biology and ecology
AU - Arias, Andrés
AU - Paxton, Hannelore
PY - 2015/9/20
Y1 - 2015/9/20
N2 - The polychaetous annelid Diopatra biscayensis Fauchald etal., 2012 was recently described from the Atlantic coast of France. It has been the subject of a plethora of publications dealing with its importance in the field of ecology: from its role as an ecosystem engineer, being an indicative species of climate change in western Europe to questions of whether it was native or introduced to the old continent, spawning theories about its hypothetical routes of introduction and spreading. We have redescribed D.biscayensis, traced its biogeographical history in the Bay of Biscay through examination of old museum holdings and studied its ecology and reproductive biology throughout a one year period from a northern Spain estuary, showing for the first time that the species is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite. The annual spawning season is from early August to late September, when large numbers of oocytes of 260μm diameter were deposited in gelatinous egg masses attached to the parental tubes. Early trochophores developed in the jelly mass by 4-6h, 3-chaetiger metatrochophores after 48h, and the jelly mass had totally disintegrated by 72h, releasing the lecithotrophic larvae. Our studies have clarified the morphology and reproductive pattern of D.biscayensis, documented that the species has inhabited the European waters for more than a century and we hope that these findings will serve as a basis to robust ecological studies and hypotheses concerning this and the related species.
AB - The polychaetous annelid Diopatra biscayensis Fauchald etal., 2012 was recently described from the Atlantic coast of France. It has been the subject of a plethora of publications dealing with its importance in the field of ecology: from its role as an ecosystem engineer, being an indicative species of climate change in western Europe to questions of whether it was native or introduced to the old continent, spawning theories about its hypothetical routes of introduction and spreading. We have redescribed D.biscayensis, traced its biogeographical history in the Bay of Biscay through examination of old museum holdings and studied its ecology and reproductive biology throughout a one year period from a northern Spain estuary, showing for the first time that the species is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite. The annual spawning season is from early August to late September, when large numbers of oocytes of 260μm diameter were deposited in gelatinous egg masses attached to the parental tubes. Early trochophores developed in the jelly mass by 4-6h, 3-chaetiger metatrochophores after 48h, and the jelly mass had totally disintegrated by 72h, releasing the lecithotrophic larvae. Our studies have clarified the morphology and reproductive pattern of D.biscayensis, documented that the species has inhabited the European waters for more than a century and we hope that these findings will serve as a basis to robust ecological studies and hypotheses concerning this and the related species.
KW - polychaetes
KW - invertebrate reproduction
KW - simultaneous hermaphroditism
KW - protandry
KW - brooding
KW - developmental patterns
KW - northern Spain
KW - Iberian estuaries
KW - Bay of Biscay
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930942904&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecss.2015.05.033
DO - 10.1016/j.ecss.2015.05.033
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84930942904
VL - 163
SP - 22
EP - 36
JO - Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
JF - Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
SN - 0272-7714
IS - PB
ER -