Population biology and breeding cycle of the burrowing shrimp Callichirus seilacheri (Decapoda, Callianassidae) from the eastern tropical Pacific

Abstract

Year-round continuous reproduction in tropical regions is an established paradigm in marine ecology. In this study, we tested this paradigm using the ghost shrimp Callichirus seilacheri from the tropical eastern Pacific as a model species. We also examined size-frequency distribution, sex ratio, and recruitment cycle to contribute to the biological knowledge of this species. To this end, a total of 456 individuals of C. seilacheri were collected during 12 months of sampling. Population structure was symmetrical for both sexes, and the overall sex ratio did not differ from evenness. Males outnumbered females in smaller size classes, though, revealing a potential sex-dependent mortality in small individuals. The breeding pattern followed the well-marked seasonal regime of the region, with ovigerous females registered during the rainy season. While natural variation in the seawater temperature had no influence on reproduction of this species, changes in water salinity possibly triggered the appearance of egg-bearing females in the population. Recruitment occurred throughout the year but was more intense during the dry season, following the appearance of ovigerous females. The adaptability of the life cycle of C. seilacheri to the seasonal climate provides further evidence that reproduction in tropical species is not always continuous.