Fecundity, reproductive effort, age‐specific reproductive tactics and intrinsic rate of natural increase of a High Arctic nematode belonging to the genus Chiloplacus

• Published in: Ecography
• Main Author: Procter, D. L. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1986
• Subjects: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Arctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.1986.tb01197.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1600-0587.1986.tb01197.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1600-0587.1986.tb01197.x

The reproduction of an undescribed species of the genus Chiloplacus from the Canadian High Arctic was studied at 10°C. The mean number of eggs laid per female was 317.8±89.2, of which 46.8±7.8% hatched, resulting in net reproduction of 148.8 juveniles per female. Beginning as new‐laid eggs the observed maximum age attained was 99 d, and the calculated generation time was 52.6 d. Egg‐laying began 26 d after hatching and the reproductive period spanned 56 d. The intrinsic rate of increase was 0.095, and the first 12 reproductive days contributed 80.587% of the value of r. When r = 0.095 the stable age distribution was calculated to be 91.5% immatures and 8.5% adults. Chiloplacus sp. is intermediate in fecundity for free‐living soil nematodes. lying between the generally highly fecund Rhabditidae on the one hand, and the much less fecund Dorylaimidae on the other. Chiloplacus sp. lays a larger portion of its eggs early in the reproductive period at 10°C than do species from warmer environments, suggesting that reproduction of Chiloplacus sp. is low‐temperature compensated.