Patterns of trunk spine growth in two congeneric species of acanthocephalan: investment in attachment may differ between sexes and species
Por:
HernÁndez-Orts J.S., Timi J.T., Raga J.A., García-Varela M., Crespo E.A., Aznar F.J.
Publicada:
1 jun 2012
Resumen:
Acanthocephalans have evolved a hooked proboscis and some taxa have trunk spines to attach to their definitive hosts. These structures are generated before being used, thus a key question is how investment in attachment could optimally be allocated through the ontogeny. The number and arrangement of hooks and spines are never modified in the definitive host, but it is unclear whether these structures grow during adult development. A comparison of the size of trunk spines between cystacanths and adults of Corynosoma cetaceum and C. australe indicated that spines grow in both species, but only in females, which also had significantly larger spines than males. This sexual dimorphism did not result from pure allometry because the body of females was smaller, and did not grow more than that of males. However, having a longer lifespan, females would need to withstand the extreme flow conditions prevailing in marine mammals for longer, inducing different investment and development schedules f
Filiaciones:
HernÁndez-Orts J.S.:
Cavanilles Institute of Biology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E-46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
Timi J.T.:
Laboratorio de Parasitología, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
Raga J.A.:
Cavanilles Institute of Biology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E-46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
García-Varela M.:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Dept Zool, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico
Crespo E.A.:
Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET, Boulevard Brown 3600 (9120), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina
Aznar F.J.:
Cavanilles Institute of Biology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Calle Catedrático José Beltrán 2, E-46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
|