Changes in the egg production rate of two copepod species of the genus Pseudocalanus in relation to temperature in the White Sea

Abstract

This study examines changes in egg production rates of two co-occurring Pseudocalanus species, P. acuspes and P. minutus, in response to changing temperatures (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12°C) in the White Sea. The boreal P. acuspes (sample size >650 individuals) increased its reproductive rate gradually across the entire range of temperatures from 0 to 12°C. Significant differences in egg production rates and reaction to temperature were also observed between P. acuspes females incubated during the early vs. the mid-summer season. The sample size of the Arctic P. minutus was significantly smaller due to the low numbers at which this species occurred. However, the results suggest that this species increases its egg production rates from 0 to 3°C from 3.3 to 8.5% dry weight female^–1 day^–1, but at 9° its reproductive rate drops significantly and the animals demonstrate markedly reduced fitness. Our results indicate that closely related co-occurring species, and even different generations within one species, can demonstrate significantly different responses to changes in the physical environment.