Effects of temperature on two Mediterranean populations of Dinophilus gyrociliatus (Polychaeta : Dinophilidae) I. Effects on life history and sex ratio

The effects of temperature on the life history characteristics of two populations of the polychaete Dinophilus gyrociliatus, one from Ravenna (northern Adriatic Sea) and the other from Genoa (Ligurian Sea), were investigated. The temperatures tested (6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 degreesC) cover a wider range than those prevailing in the natural environment. In the populations studied there are broad differences in timing of development and reproduction. At 6 degreesC, the adults of both populations survive for a long time but they are unable to reproduce. At 12 degreesC, only the animals from Ravenna manage to reproduce. At the higher temperatures (18, 24 and 30 degreesC), the development of the animals belonging to the Genoa strain is faster than that of the Ravenna strain. The duration of the various phases of the biological cycle is very similar in both populations, but that from Ravenna exhibits greater tolerance of low temperatures, slower development rate and lower development threshold temperature than does the Genoa population. Temperature and geographical origin also have strong effects on reproductive characteristics. The highest fecundity values were observed at 12 degreesC in the Ravenna strain, the lowest at 30 degreesC in both groups. At 18 degreesC, the Genoa population is more fecund than the Ravenna one, while the situation is reversed at 12 degreesC. The smallest ovigerous capsules are produced at 30 degreesC, the biggest at 12 degreesC, and the Genoa females produce larger capsules than do the females from Ravenna, except at 12 degreesC. The size of both male and female eggs varies in relation to temperature, the smallest female eggs generally being laid at the higher temperatures. At all the temperatures tested, the sex ratio of the Ravenna population is higher than that of the Genoa population. In the Ravenna strain, temperature has no effect on the sex ratio, while in the Genoa strain the sex ratio at 24 degreesC is lower than at 18 and 30 degreesC. Comparison of the two populations at the same temperature reveals considerable differences in the characteristics of their respective life histories and sex ratios. It is very likely that the extreme selectivity of the harbor environments has favored the fragmentation of the species into differentiated populations that have adapted to the conditions prevailing in the different localities. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.