Is annual reproduction in deep-sea echinoderms a response to variability in their environment?

The deep-sea environment has traditionally been considered as one of the least variable on the surface of the Earth 1–3 . However, recent evidence 4–6 suggests that there may be a seasonal fluctuation in the physicochemical environment, and there is further evidence 7–11 that annual reproductive per...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1982-12, Vol.300 (5894), p.747-750
Main Authors: Tyler, P. A, Grant, A, Pain, S. L, Gage, J. D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Humanities and Social Sciences
letter
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:The deep-sea environment has traditionally been considered as one of the least variable on the surface of the Earth 1–3 . However, recent evidence 4–6 suggests that there may be a seasonal fluctuation in the physicochemical environment, and there is further evidence 7–11 that annual reproductive periodicities may occur among populations of deep-sea invertebrates. We report here evidence for annual periodicities and considerable between-species synchrony in the reproductive cycles of five deep-sea echinoderms, spawning occurring in late winter and early spring. These species also show a similar mode of early development that suggests adaptation to a seasonally varying food supply.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/300747a0