How the cladoceran heterogonic life cycle evolved--insights from gamogenetic reproduction and direct development in Cyclestherida.

Here we document the early gamogenetic development of Cyclestherida, including a characterization of the nervous system. Resting eggs in Cyclestheria are protected by an ephippium, built by the major part of the carapace. The first stages of development are enclosed in an outer chorion and an inner vitelline membrane. After shedding of the chorion, the vitelline membrane inflates and later stages are free-floating within the vitelline membrane. Only the juveniles are released from the vitelline membrane. Developmental stages of the gamogenetic direct development and of the parthenogenetic pseudo-direct development are remarkably similar in Cyclestheria, both regarding external and nervous system development. Because of this high degree of correspondence, as well as the important differences to the anamorphic development in Spinicaudata, we suggest that the developmental stages from the gamogenetic life cycle evolved directly from the parthenogenetic life cycle. This implies that resting egg development in Cladoceromorpha does not correspond directly to the resting egg development in large branchiopods. This leads us to the conclusion that the entire heterogonous life cycle in Cladoceromorpha probably evolved anew.

Effects of dietary copper on life-history traits of a tropical freshwater cladoceran.

Life-history parameters of Ceriodaphnia cornuta (Cladocera: Daphniidae) fed on Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (Chlorophyceae) exposed to different copper concentrations were investigated. C. cornuta individuals were reared in four treatments: (a) reconstituted water and non-contaminated algae (RW); (b) reconstituted water and copper-contaminated algae with either 1.28 × 10(-13) (10(-7)Cu) or (c) 1.93 × 10(-13) g Cu cell(-1) (10(-6)Cu); and (d) natural water from a local reservoir and non-contaminated algae (NW). Copper content in C. cornuta individuals increased as diet-borne exposure increased (RW < 10(-7)Cu < NW < 10(-6)Cu), except for NW individuals, which exhibited higher copper body burden than RW and 10(-7)Cu individuals, suggesting that some copper was available in the natural water. The results suggest that subacute levels of dietary copper stimulated C. cornuta's growth and reproduction, whereas organisms reared on reconstituted water showed nutritional deficiency. Depending on copper exposure concentration, either growth (lower Cu concentration) or reproduction (higher Cu concentration) was further stimulated, suggesting that an alteration of resource allocation is involved in diet-borne copper exposure. Because differences among treatments were only significantly different after day 12 of the experiment, our results reinforce that full life-cycle tests are more appropriate than the standard 7 day or three-brood chronic bioassays used to evaluate dietary copper effects at low, chronic copper inputs and that the use of standard test-organisms may not address site-specific situations for tropical environments.

Descripción histológica de la cámara incubatriz de moina hutchinsoni (Brem, 1937) / Histological description of the brood-chamber of moina hutchinsoni (Brem, 1937)

Los cladóceros son partenogenéticos por lo que la mayor parte del año, las poblaciones consisten enteramente de hembras que se reproducen asexualmente, en ellas el ovario se comunica por medio de un oviducto, con la cámara incubatriz, la cual se localiza en el margen interno posterior del caparazón, cerca del corazón y antes del intestino. Los huevos provenientes de los oviductos se depositan en la cámara y se incuban hasta terminar el desarrollo embrionario. Se considera que Moina presenta un desarrollo postembrionario directo, porque los organismos juveniles o neonatos, salen completamente formados e independientes durante la muda. En la reproducción asexual la cámara contiene a las diferentes etapas del desarrollo embrionario llamadas; ovocito, huevo y embrión. En la etapa sexual o gamogenética la cámara contiene un efipio con dos huevos. La cámara incubatriz histológicamente esta conformada por un epitelio plano simple, que descansa sobre una membrana basal evidente, la cual se continúa con el tejido conjuntivo laxo, después del cual se encuentra el caparazón. En el interior de la cámara se identificaron los ovocitos, huevos y algunas etapas del desarrollo embrionario, en cortes semifinos y finos por microscopia óptica y de transmisión, respectivamente.

Cladocerans are parthenogenetic during the greater part of the year. Populations consist entirely of females that reproduce asexually; in these females the ovary communicates through an oviduct with the brood chamber which is located at the rear inner shell border, near the heart and before the intestine. The eggs originating from the oviducts are deposited in the brood chamber and are incubated until the end of embryonic development. Moina is considered post embryonic development because juvenile or neonate organisms emerge fully formed and independent during moulting. In asexual reproduction the brood chamber contains the various stages of embryonic development denominated, oocyte, egg and embryo. At this stage the sexual gamogenetic contains an ephippium with two eggs. The brood chamber is formed histologically by a simple, plane epithelium that rests on a clear basal membrane continuous with the loose connective tissue, after which the shell can be located. Inside the brood chamber oocytes, eggs and some stages of embryonic development are identified, as well as fine semi optical and transmission microscopy cuts respectively.

Hatching rates of resting eggs of 'Cladocera' (Crustacea; Branchiopoda) at a tropical bay, Brazil.

The aim of this study was to determine the development time of embryos and to estimate the hatching rates of resting eggs of cladocerans found in the sediment of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under experimental conditions. Eggs were sorted by species (Penilia avirostris--Sididae; Pleopis polyphemoides and Pseudevadne tergestina--Podonidae) and incubated at a temperature of 25 degrees C, salinity 35 and photoperiod 12 hours light/ 12 hours dark. Hatching rates were about 38% for Pseudevadne tergestina and 28% for Pleopis polyphemoides. Embryos of resting eggs of Penilia avirostris developed comparatively slowly (hatching after 86 days of incubation), with a hatching rate of only 5%. It was observed that development and hatching of resting eggs of marine cladocerans suggest that pulses of recruitment may exist, thus contributing to the rapid appearance and maintenance of planktonic populations of these crustaceans in Guanabara Bay.

Hatching rates of resting eggs of 'Cladocera' (Crustacea; Branchiopoda) at a tropical bay, Brazil

The aim of this study was to determine the development time of embryos and to estimate the hatching rates of resting eggs of cladocerans found in the sediment of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under experimental conditions. Eggs were sorted by species (Penilia avirostris - Sididae; Pleopis polyphemoides and Pseudevadne tergestina - Podonidae) and incubated at a temperature of 25 °C, salinity 35 and photoperiod 12 hours light/ 12 hours dark. Hatching rates were about 38 percent for Pseudevadne tergestina and 28 percent for Pleopis polyphemoides. Embryos of resting eggs of Penilia avirostris developed comparatively slowly (hatching after 86 days of incubation), with a hatching rate of only 5 percent. It was observed that development and hatching of resting eggs of marine cladocerans suggest that pulses of recruitment may exist, thus contributing to the rapid appearance and maintenance of planktonic populations of these crustaceans in Guanabara Bay.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar o tempo de desenvolvimento de embriões e estimar as taxas de eclosão de ovos de resistência de cladóceros encontrados no sedimento da baía de Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, sob condições experimentais. Os ovos foram separados por espécie (Penilia avirostris - Sididae; Pleopis polyphemoides e Pseudevadne tergestina - Podonidae) e incubados a 25 °C, salinidade 35 e fotoperíodo 12 horas claro 12 horas escuro. As taxas de eclosão foram de aproximadamente 38 por cento para Pseudevadne tergestina e de 28 por cento para Pleopis -polyphemoides. Os embriões dos ovos de resistência de Penilia avirostris desenvolveram-se de forma relativamente lenta (eclodindo apenas 86 dias após o início da incubação), com uma taxa de eclosão de apenas 5 por cento. Foi observado que o desenvolvimento e a eclosão dos ovos de resistência de cladóceros marinhos sugerem que podem ocorrer em pulsos, contribuindo assim para o rápido aparecimento e manutenção destes crustáceos na baía de Guanabara.

Embryonic development time of Penilia avirostris Dana, 1852 in a tropical bay in Brazil.

Development time of embryos in the brood pouch of the cladoceran Penilia avirostris Dana, 1852, was estimated by collecting zooplankton daily for 15 days in surface water of Guanabara Bay, Brazil. Each day the maturity stage of embryos of 90 parthenogenic females was noted. Total development time (egg to birth) varied from 2 to 3 days, the immature phase (stages I to IV) being generally longer (2 days) than intermediate and mature phases (1 day, stages V to XII). Similar results were obtained from Bottrell's equation, which takes water temperature into account.

On the ontogeny of Leptodora kindtii (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Cladocera), with notes on the phylogeny of the Cladocera.

Leptodora kindtii, a large predaceous cladoceran, is among the most deviant species of the Cladocera. Therefore, its phylogenetic position has traditionally proven difficult to determine. Its many peculiar features include, among others, long, stenopodous, forwardly directed trunk limbs, a posteriorly placed dorsal brood pouch, a tri-lobed lower lip, and a long, segmented abdomen. This study describes the ontogeny of L. kindtii (Haplopoda), including general body proportions, appendages, the carapace, and other external structures in an attempt to facilitate the comparison of its aberrant morphology to that of other branchiopods. In general, the early embryos are similar to the early embryos of other cladoceran taxa with respect to body shape and size and position and orientation of the early limb buds. Many of the unusual features of L. kindtii appear late in ontogeny. The carapace appears at an early stage as a pair of dorsolateral swellings in a position corresponding to the gap between the mandibles and the first pair of trunk limbs; it later becomes posteriorly transposed by a gradual fusion of its more anterior parts to the dorsal side of the thorax. The tri-lobed "lower lip," under the labrum of the late embryo and the adult, develops as a fusion of the first maxillae (lateral lobes) to an elevated sternal region behind the mouth (median lobe). The stenopodous, segmented trunk limbs in the adult develop from embryonic, elongate, subdivided limb buds, similar to those seen in early stages of other branchiopods. Two conflicting possibilities for the phylogeny of the Cladocera, involving two different positions of L. kindtii (Haplopoda), are discussed. Several characters support a sister-group relationship between the Haplopoda and Onychopoda. However, some characters support the Anomopoda and Onychopoda as sister groups, leaving the Haplopoda outside this clade. In contrast to recent suggestions, we prefer to retain the term "Cladocera" in its original sense as comprising the Haplopoda, Ctenopoda, Anomopoda, and Onychopoda.