Life Cycles Animals Lecture 3 Flashcards
Focusing on the number of reproductive events, 2 main categories can be distinguished.
- Semelparous species
- Iteroparous species
Semelparous species
Species that reproduce only once during their life and then die
Iteroparous species
- Species that reproduce more than once.
- The number of reproductive events can vary:
A) Species may reproduce during one reproductive season (one year)
B) Species may reproduce during several reproductive season (several years)
Semelparous species include…
- Molluscs: octopus, squid, some clams, etc.
- Some annelids: nereids
- Fish: salmons, eels, lampreys, …
What is another example of a semelparous species?
the European eel
Do larvae and juveniles of the European eel look a like?
- No, larvae and juveniles are very
different from a morphological point
of view. - They were classified as different species.
- Leptocephalus larva is typical of Elopomorpha fish
How was the complex life cycle of the European eel discovered?
The complex life cycle of the European eels was discovered thanks to the catch of leptocephali larvae with
different sizes.
What does the metamorphosis of the European eel larvae look like?
- Leptocephali are transparent, with a maximum length of 85 mm.
Their stage lasts between 3 to 4 years. - The juvenile, called glass eels, are between 65 and 80 mm of length, and migrate to freshwater streams between October and February.
What happens to the eels after the attainment of sexual maturity?
After the attainment of sexual maturity,
between 6 and 12 years, adults perform a
long migration towards the Sargasso Sea
where they will spawn and then die.
Before migrations, they undergo several
morphological and physiological
modifications.
What is a difficult taxon when it comes to defining iteroparity and semelparity?
Cephalopods
Main elements to take in consideration when defining iteroparity
- There is a resting phase in gonads
- The interval between successive batch laying.
1 category of spawning once (formerly semelparity) in cephalopods
- Simultaneous terminal spawning: eggs are released in a short time interval, only once, before death.
- This is a type of spawning where ovulation is synchronous, and there is no oocyte maturation during the spawning period.
- The egg spawning pattern is monocyclic, and the egg-laying occurs in a very short period at the end of the
animal’s life.
4 categories of spawning more than once (formerly iteroparity) in cephalopods
- Polycyclic spawning
- Multiple spawning
- Intermittent terminal spawning
- Continuous spawning
Polycyclic spawning (as category of spawning more than once)
- Reproductive strategy where the spawning pattern shows several cycles and the gonads regenerate after each breeding period, making new reproductive cycles possible.
- There appears to be a single spawning season each year with the animal surviving, feeding and growing between spawning
events. - Eggs mature in several distinct clutches and egg-laying occurs in separate batches during each spawning period.
Multiple spawning (as category of spawning more than once)
Reproductive pattern, group-synchronous ovulation occurs in the ovary.
The spawning pattern is monocyclic, and egg-laying occurs in separate batches, somatic growth continuing between separate spawning events.
Intermittent terminal spawning (as category of spawning more than once)
Group-synchronous ovulation occurs in the ovary.
Spawning is monocyclic and egg-laying occurs in separate batches during the
spawning period, which is usually relatively long
This type of strategy differs from `multiple spawning’ in that somatic growth does not take place between spawning events.
Continuous spawning (as category of spawning more than once)
Ovulation is characterized by continuous asynchronous production of ova in the ovary after spawning has commenced.
In this monocyclic spawning pattern, adults spawn continuously during their relatively extended life-spans and somatic growth
takes place during spawning events.