The Evolution of the Life Histories of Four Species of Intertidal Limpets

Abstract

The life histories of four species of intertidal limpets, Cellana tramoserica, Notoacmea petterdi, Patella peroni, and Patelloida alticostata, which occur on the same shore but in different tidal zones, are compared. The population dynamics (recruitment, growth, and mortality) and the causes of mortality of each species are investigated. C. tramoserica and P. peroni have similar rates of growth and mortality, but P. peroni has a higher reproductive effort (the proportion of assimilated energy devoted to reproduction). Pd. alticostata has lower rates of growth and mortality than the above species, but its reproductive effort is similar to that of C. tramoserica. N. petterdi has the lowest rates of growth and mortality, but its reproductive effort is similar to, or perhaps slightly lower than that of C. tramoserica and Pd. alticostata. The causes of mortality vary among species. Predation by wrasses is the main cause of mortality of P. peroni and Pd. alticostata, which occur in the sublittoral and lower littoral zones, respectively. The principal cause of mortality of adult C. tramoserica, a midlittoral species, is starvation. N. petterdi, which occurs in the supralittoral zone, is a very long—lived species and the causes of its mortality could not be determined. Semiquantitative estimates of extrinsic adult mortality rates are obtained for the four species of limpet, and these are shown to be correlated with interspecific differences in reproductive effort. Adults of each species assume different levels of risk during reproduction. The adults of species which occur in seasonal environments appear to take greater risks when breeding than those of species which occupy more constant environments.

The Evolution of the Life Histories of Four Species of Intertidal Limpets

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