Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of temperature on the reproductive potential of Oncholaimus oxyuris (Nematoda: Oncholaimidae)

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The large nematode Oncholaimus oxyuris Ditlevsen, 1911 is a dominant predator in a shallow polyhaline brackish-water pond in Belgium. The reproductive potential of this species was calculated as the intrinsic rate of natural increase r=1/D In pN e , in which D is the generation time, p is the percentage of females, and N e is the number of eggs per female. The generation time varies between 570 days at 5°C and 101 days at 25°C and is the main factor in the determination of r. The relationship between r and temperature is nearly linear and is given by r=0.0013 T−0.0042. The reproductive potential of O. oxyuris is much lower than would be predicted from body size; this and the dominance of males in the population, is discussed in the light of the evolution of stable predator-prey systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • Allen, K.R.: Relation between production and biomass. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 28, 1573–1581 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • De Bovée, F.: La nematofauna des vases autopolluées des Iles Kerguelen (terres australes et antaractiques françaises). Cah. Biol. mar. 16, 711–720 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Caughley, G. and L. C. Bird: Rate of increase. J. Wildl. Mgmt 35, 658–663 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenchel, T.: Intrinsic rate of natural increase: the relationship with body size. Oecologia (Berl.) 14, 317–326 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R.A.: The genetical theory of natural selection, 272 pp. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1930

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerlach, S.A.: On the importance of marine meiofauna for benthos communities. Oecologia (Berl.) 6, 176–190 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • — and M. Schrage: Life cycles in marine meiobenthos. Experiments at various temperatures with Monhystera disjuncta and Theristus pertenuis (Nematoda). Mar. Biol. 9, 274–280 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • —— Life cycles at low temperatures in some freeliving marine nematodes. Veröff. Inst. Meeresforsch Bremerh. 14, 5–11 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Heip, C.: The life cycle of Cyprideis torosa (Crustacea, Ostracoda). Oecologia (Berl.) 24, 229–245 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • —: On the evolution of reproductive potentials in a brackish water meiobenthic community. Mikrofauna Meeresboden 61, 105–112 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • — and W. Decraemer: The diversity of nematode communities in the southern North Sea. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 54, 251–255 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • — and N. Smol: Influence of temperature on the reproductive potential of two brackish-water harpacticoids (Crustacea: Copepoda). Mar. Biol. 35, 327–334 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopper, B.E., J. W. Fell and R.C. Cefalu: Effect of temperature on life cycles of nematodes associated with the mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) detrital system. Mar. Biol. 23, 293–296 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Juario, J.V.: Nematode species composition and seasonal fluctuation of a sublittoral meiofauna community on the German Bight. Veröff. Inst. Meeresforsch. Bremerh. 15, 283–337 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maertens, D.: Observations on the life cycle of Prionchulus punctatus (Cobb, 1917) (Nematoda) and some culture conditions. Biol. Jaarb. 43, 197–218 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • May, R.M.: Estimating r: a pedagogical note. Am. Nat. 110, 496–499 (1976)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ott, J.A.: Studies on the diversity of the nematode fauna in intertidal sediments. Proc. Eur. mar. biol. Symp. 5, 275–285 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Paine, R.T.: Food wed complexity and species diversity. Am. Nat. 100, 65–76 (1966)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tenore, K.R., J.H. Tietjen and J.J. Lee: Effect of meiofauna on incorporation of aged eelgrass, Zostera marina, detritus by the polychaete Nephtys incisa. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 34, 563–567 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tietjen, J.H. and J.J. Lee: Life cycles of marine nematodes. Influence of temperature and salinity on the development of Monhystera denticulata Timm. Oecologia (Berl.) 10, 167–176 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • —— Life histories of marine nematodes. Influence of temperature and salinity on the reproductive potential of Chromadorina germanica Bütschli. Mikrofauna Meeresbod. 61, 263–270 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  • ——, J. Rullman, A. Greenhart and J. Trompeter: Gnotobiotic culture and physiological ecology of the marine nematode Rhabditis marina Bastian. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15, 535–543 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, State University of Gent, Gent, Belgium

    C. Heip, N. Smol & V. Absillis

  2. Laboratorium voor Morfologie en Systematiek, Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000, Gent, Belgium

    C. Heip

Authors
  1. C. Heip
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. N. Smol
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. V. Absillis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heip, C., Smol, N. & Absillis, V. Influence of temperature on the reproductive potential of Oncholaimus oxyuris (Nematoda: Oncholaimidae). Mar. Biol. 45, 255–260 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390608

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390608

Keywords

Search

Navigation