Androdioecy inferred in the clam shrimp Eulimnadia agassizii (Spinicaudata: Limnadiidae)

Androdioecy (mixtures of males and hermaphrodites) is a rare mating system in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Androdioecy has been described in three branchiopod species, and is best known from the clam shrimp Eulimnadia texana Packard. Herein we describe sex ratio, genetic and histological evidence from the clam shrimp Eulimnadia agassizii Packard that suggest androdioecy is also found in this species. The E. agassizii population sampled had all-females, and when these females were isolated and allowed to produce eggs, those eggs yielded 100% female offspring in 15 out of 15 cases. Additionally, the originally isolated females proved to be completely homozygous at each of the six allozyme loci scored. The offspring from these isolated females also proved to be homozygous for the same alleles as their parent. Tissue sectioning of the gonad found that the "females" actually produced testicular tissue in the posterior portion of the gonad. Taken together, these data are entirely consistent with those of the androdioecious E. texana, and thus indicate that E. agassizii is also an androdioecious species, bringing the total number of branchiopod species with this form of reproduction to four.