Seasonal determinants of the life cycle in two species of Aplysia found in shallow waters along the Mediterranean coast of Israel

S. Gev, Y. Achituv, A. J. Susswein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Aplysia are found along the Mediterranean shores of Israel for 8 months of the year, from February through September. Two species are commonly present: A depilans Gmelin and A. fasciata Poiret. The presence of the animals is determined by the length of time in which the new individuals are recruited and the life span of the animals. A. depilans seem to metamorphose and enter the population only in the early part of the season; by contrast, A. fasciata metamorphose throughout most of it. Initiation of the season may be due to an increased growth of the green algae Ulva lactuca (L.), which probably induces metamorphosis. The life span of individuals of both species is shorter than the length of the entire season. The season ends by natural aging and death of animals, coupled with a decrease in abundance of Ulva, preventing recruitment of new individuals. Rate of maturation seems to be higher in animals recruited late in the season than in animals that metamorphose earlier.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)67-83
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
Volume74
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 5 Jan 1984

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank Aviva Wortzlavskyf or help with sectioninga nd staining, Sylvia Markovich, and many other colleaguesw ho assistedin collectiono f material and preparationo f manuscriptT. his work was supportedb y the United States-Israel BinationalS cienceF oundationg rantn o. 2210.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Seasonal determinants of the life cycle in two species of Aplysia found in shallow waters along the Mediterranean coast of Israel'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this