Divergence in host use ability of a marine herbivore from two habitat types

We studied ecological divergence of host use ability in a generalist marine herbivore living in two distinct host plant assemblages. We collected Idotea balthica isopods from three populations dominated by the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus and three dominated by the seagrass Zostera marina. In two re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of evolutionary biology 2009-07, Vol.22 (7), p.1545-1555
Main Authors: VESAKOSKI, O, RAUTANEN, J, JORMALAINEN, V, RAMSAY, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal populations
Animals
Crustaceans
divergent selection
Ecosystem
Evolutionary biology
Finland
Fucus vesiculosus
generalism
Genotype & phenotype
Habitats
Herbivores
host exploitation
host range
Idotea balthica
Isopoda
Isopoda - classification
Isopoda - genetics
local adaptation
Phaeophyceae
population divergence
specialism
Zostera marina
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Summary:We studied ecological divergence of host use ability in a generalist marine herbivore living in two distinct host plant assemblages. We collected Idotea balthica isopods from three populations dominated by the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus and three dominated by the seagrass Zostera marina. In two reciprocal common garden feeding experiments for adult and laboratory-born juvenile isopods, we found that isopods from both assemblages performed better with their sympatric dominant host species than did isopods allopatric to this host. This indicates parallel divergence of populations according to the sympatric host plant assemblage. Furthermore, initial body size and body size-dependent mortality differed between populations from the two assemblages. In nature, this may result in lower fitness of immigrants compared with that of residents and consequently reinforce divergence of the populations. Finally, we discuss how phenotypic plasticity and maternal and random effects may associate with the results.
ISSN:1010-061X
1420-9101
DOI:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01767.x