Influence of salinity on the life cycle of Boeckella poopoensis Marsh, 1906 (Crustacea, Copepoda).

CABRERA, G.C.; A.M. VIGNATTI; S.A. ECHANIZ Y A.H. ESCALANTE

Biocell

INST HISTOL EMBRIOL-CONICET

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2015 vol. 39 p. 13 - 13

Because salinity is one of the environmental factors that directly influence the development of copepods, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of this parameter on the life cycle of Boeckella poopoensis, a frequent microcrustacean in neotropical saline environments. Bioassays were conducted to determine the post-embryonic development of this species at five salinities (5, 10, 20, 30 and 35 g/L). Larvae were obtained from ovigerous females isolated from a monospecific culture acclimated in the laboratory. One nauplius I larva (10 replicates) was placed in each bottle (20 mL), with adequate medium and food, and observed every 24 hours until the adult stage. Treatments with 5, 10 and 20 g/L were similar but differed from those with 30 and 35 g/L (H025.65; p=0.0000). In the three lower salinities, the naupliar stage had a mean duration of 5.4 (+-0.3) days and the copepodite stage 7.7 (+-0.1) days. In treatments with 30 and 35 g/L, specimens needed 8 (+-1) days to reach the copepodite stage I and 23 (+-11.3) days to become adults. At higher salinities, it took more than twice as long to complete development, suggesting that the increase in salinity causes a delay in the sexual maturity of B. poopoensis.