Composition of body storage compounds influences egg quality and reproductive investment in the land snail Cornu aspersum

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 1161-1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annegret Nicolai ◽  
Juliane Filser ◽  
Roman Lenz ◽  
Briand Valérie ◽  
Maryvonne Charrier

In invertebrates, resources available for growth and reproduction might influence the composition of body stores and subsequently nutrient allocation to eggs, thereby adjusting energy investment in reproduction. We investigated in the land snail Cornu aspersum (Müller, 1774) the efficiency of growth and the main storage compounds in the body and in eggs with respect to lipid content in food (5.5% versus 2.5%). The high body dry mass density of snails fed on lipid-rich diet underlined the high storage capacity of neutral lipids acquired during growth (high growth efficiency) without changing energy content because of the prevailing carbohydrate storage compounds. Reproductive investment was lower in these snails, and maternal effects decreased clutch size. Triglyceride allocation to eggs might enhance survival probability of offspring and therefore compensate for smaller clutch size. Snails fed on lipid-poor diet maximized their investment in clutch size whatever the amount of body stores, and allocated a higher amount of cholesterol to eggs. Cholesterol could be essential for embryo growth, as it ensures membrane functioning. In conclusion, the availability of resources can differentially affect nutrient allocation and energy investment in reproduction. Thus, the investigation of physiological processes becomes essential to understand population dynamics in fluctuating or changing habitats.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxime Dahirel ◽  
Alexandre Vong ◽  
Armelle Ansart ◽  
Luc Madec

ABSTRACTBoth individual variation in dispersal tendency and animal personalities have been shown to be widespread in nature. They are often associated in personality-dependent dispersal, and both have major but underappreciated consequences for ecological and evolutionary dynamics. In addition, personalities are not stable over time and changes can appear through ontogeny, leading to life stage-dependent behaviours. We investigated relationships between dispersal, life stage and boldness in an invertebrate with between- and within-life stages variation in dispersal tendency, the land snail Cornu aspersum. Latency to exit the shell following a simulated attack was repeatable, indicating boldness is a personality trait in Cornu aspersum. Subadults were bolder and more dispersive than adults. Dispersers were bolder than non-dispersers, independently of boldness changes between life stages. We discuss how these results can be explained in relation with life history strategies in this hermaphrodite species, in particular risk management in the context of reproductive investment.


1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 1527-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hailey ◽  
N. S. Loumbourdis

Energetic aspects of female reproduction are described for the tortoises Testudo graeca, Testudo marginata, and Testudo hermanni (three populations of different body size) from northern Greece. Egg width increased with body size in some populations, but smaller individuals produced more elongate eggs, and egg weight was not related to body size. This method for overcoming the constraint of the width of the pelvic canal means that egg width is a poor measure of egg size. Clutch size, clutch mass, and annual egg production varied with body size between populations. Mean relative clutch mass ranged from 4 to 7%, and was highest in the three populations of T. hermanni. All populations laid two or three clutches per year, based on the total number of eggs and large follicles divided by clutch size. Multiple clutches reflect the morphological constraint of packing shelled eggs within the body, rather than energy accumulation during the nesting period. Material for reproduction was stored in growing follicles rather than fat bodies; follicles reached half of their final weight before the animals entered hibernation. Annual reproductive effort as a proportion of body energy content was about 15% in all populations. This is lower than in other reptiles, partly because the carapace accounts for over half of the total ash-free dry weight of the tortoise body.


1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 2067-2074 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Baur ◽  
B Baur

Egg size and egg provisioning are crucial for the survival of offspring in invertebrates without postlaying egg care. The effects of elevation and size of the mother on egg size and on nitrogen and carbon concentrations in eggs were examined in eight populations of the land snail Arianta arbustorum over an altitudinal gradient from 370 to 2340 m in Switzerland. The dry mass of single eggs ranged from 1.48 to 2.79 mg and decreased with increasing altitude. Adult snail size (shell volume) also decreased with increasing elevation as did clutch size and reproductive investment (clutch size x egg dry mass) of mothers. Hatching success of eggs varied among populations, but showed no altitudinal pattern. When differences in parental shell size were taken into account, correlations between altitude and egg size, clutch size, and reproductive investment disappeared. Thus, the altitudinal decreases in egg size, clutch size, and reproductive investment were mainly due to smaller snail sizes at higher elevations. The nitrogen concentration in eggs ranged from 3.4 to 4.5% and decreased with increasing elevation. In contrast to egg and clutch size, the altitudinal variation in nitrogen concentration of eggs cannot be explained by differences in snail size. The carbon concentration in eggs ranged from 31.1 to 33.1%, but showed no altitudinal variation. Nitrogen and carbon concentrations in the eggshell and egg fluid in eggs from four populations were examined separately. The nitrogen concentration in the eggshell ranged from 0.7 to 1.8% and was lower than that of the egg fluid (5.1-5.8%). Similarly, the carbon concentration in the eggshell was lower (20.2-22.8%) than that in the egg fluid (35.8-0.2%). Interpopulation differences in egg composition may affect growth, size, and survival of hatchlings and the extent of egg cannibalism in A. arbustorum.


Author(s):  
Kristina Noreikienė ◽  
Kim Jaatinen ◽  
Benjamin B. Steele ◽  
Markus Öst

AbstractGlucocorticoid hormones may mediate trade-offs between current and future reproduction. However, understanding their role is complicated by predation risk, which simultaneously affects the value of the current reproductive investment and elevates glucocorticoid levels. Here, we shed light on these issues in long-lived female Eiders (Somateria mollissima) by investigating how current reproductive investment (clutch size) and hatching success relate to faecal glucocorticoid metabolite [fGCM] level and residual reproductive value (minimum years of breeding experience, body condition, relative telomere length) under spatially variable predation risk. Our results showed a positive relationship between colony-specific predation risk and mean colony-specific fGCM levels. Clutch size and female fGCM were negatively correlated only under high nest predation and in females in good body condition, previously shown to have a longer life expectancy. We also found that younger females with longer telomeres had smaller clutches. The drop in hatching success with increasing fGCM levels was least pronounced under high nest predation risk, suggesting that elevated fGCM levels may allow females to ensure some reproductive success under such conditions. Hatching success was positively associated with female body condition, with relative telomere length, particularly in younger females, and with female minimum age, particularly under low predation risk, showing the utility of these metrics as indicators of individual quality. In line with a trade-off between current and future reproduction, our results show that high potential for future breeding prospects and increased predation risk shift the balance toward investment in future reproduction, with glucocorticoids playing a role in the resolution of this trade-off.


Author(s):  
Thassya C. dos Santos Schmidt ◽  
Doug E. Hay ◽  
Svein Sundby ◽  
Jennifer A. Devine ◽  
Guðmundur J. Óskarsson ◽  
...  

AbstractLife-history traits of Pacific (Clupea pallasii) and Atlantic (Clupea harengus) herring, comprising both local and oceanic stocks subdivided into summer-autumn and spring spawners, were extensively reviewed. The main parameters investigated were body growth, condition, and reproductive investment. Body size of Pacific herring increased with increasing latitude. This pattern was inconsistent for Atlantic herring. Pacific and local Norwegian herring showed comparable body conditions, whereas oceanic Atlantic herring generally appeared stouter. Among Atlantic herring, summer and autumn spawners produced many small eggs compared to spring spawners, which had fewer but larger eggs—findings agreeing with statements given several decades ago. The 26 herring stocks we analysed, when combined across distant waters, showed clear evidence of a trade-off between fecundity and egg size. The size-specific individual variation, often ignored, was substantial. Additional information on biometrics clarified that oceanic stocks were generally larger and had longer life spans than local herring stocks, probably related to their longer feeding migrations. Body condition was only weakly, positively related to assumingly in situ annual temperatures (0–30 m depth). Contrarily, body growth (cm × y−1), taken as an integrator of ambient environmental conditions, closely reflected the extent of investment in reproduction. Overall, Pacific and local Norwegian herring tended to cluster based on morphometric and reproductive features, whereas oceanic Atlantic herring clustered separately. Our work underlines that herring stocks are uniquely adapted to their habitats in terms of trade-offs between fecundity and egg size whereas reproductive investment mimics the productivity of the water in question.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Broussard ◽  
F Stephen Dobson ◽  
J O Murie

To maximize fitness, organisms must optimally allocate resources to reproduction, daily metabolic maintenance, and survival. We examined multiple years of live-trapping and observational data from a known-aged population of female Columbian ground squirrels, Spermophilus columbianus (Ord, 1815), to determine the influences of stored resources and daily resource income on the reproductive investments of females. We predicted that because yearling females were not fully grown structurally while producing their first litter, they would rely exclusively on income for reproduction, while reproductive investment in older females (≥2 years of age) would be influenced by both stored resources (capital) and daily income. Results from path analysis indicated that both yearlings and older females were income breeders. However, initial capital indirectly influenced investment in reproduction of yearling and older females. Females with the greatest initial capital maintained high body masses while investing relatively more income in reproduction. By considering influences of both capital and income, important relationships can be revealed between these resources and their influence on life histories.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 811 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Stockdale

Summary. Three experiments of 5 weeks duration, using 32 Friesian cows per experiment, were conducted in northern Victoria during 1994–95. Experiment 1 was conducted during spring (October–November), experiment 2 was carried out in summer (January–February), and experiment 3 was in autumn (April–May). In each experiment, there was a pasture only treatment and 3 treatments in which 5 kg dry matter (DM)/cow of different supplements were offered in 2 equal feeds each day. The supplements were either pelleted cereal grain (75% barley and 25% wheat), pelleted mixed grains (50% lupins, 25% barley, 25% wheat) or hay. The hay used in experiment 1 was made from lucerne (Medicago sativa), while that used in experiments 2 and 3 originated from irrigated annual and perennial pastures, respectively. Cows strip-grazed irrigated pasture at a herbage allowance of about 30 kg DM/cow.day in each experiment. There were 4 cows per treatment and treatments were replicated twice. All supplements significantly (P<0.05) increased milk production. The lupins–cereal grain supplement resulted in the greatest response and the hay the smallest response, both in terms of absolute level of production and the marginal return to additional total DM consumed (1.4, 1.7 and 0.9 kg of extra milk for each additional kg DM of total intake associated with the cereal grain, lupins–cereal grain and hay supplement treatments, respectively). However, the marginal response to each kg of a supplement varied (P<0.05) with the time of the year. There were no differences between supplements in spring whilst in summer and autumn, the cereal grain and lupins–cereal grain supplements were better (P<0.05) than hay. Milk solids yield responded in a manner similar to milk yield. This was principally due to the fact that none of the supplements affected (P>0.05) milk protein content and, although milk fat content was reduced (P<0.05) by both concentrate supplements, the effects were not biologically large (a difference of about 0.05 percentage units). The cereal grain and lupins–cereal grain supplements also improved (P<0.05) the body condition of cows relative to those that were unsupplemented or were supplemented with hay. Levels of substitution were similar across types of supplement, averaging 0.28 kg DM reduction in pasture intake for each kg DM of supplement eaten. It was concluded that, at low pasture allowances (high stocking rates) with moderate supplementation, large differences in substitution between readily fermentable concentrate supplements, such as cereal grain or lupins–cereal grain, and hay are unlikely. Hence, responses in milk will largely be based on the energy content of the supplement. At higher pasture allowances and/or higher levels of supplementary feeding, variations in substitution will probably play an important role in determining the responses observed.


Author(s):  
Alla Kouadio Théodore ◽  
Ahon Gnamien Marcel ◽  
Bomisso Edson Lezin

Our study aims at improving the nutritional quality of eggplant fruits through application of organic fertilization. The study was conducted in Bingerville (located in the south of Côte d'Ivoire and west of Abidjan city), from April to August 2019. The work consisted in assessing, in a randomized complete block design, the effects of five manures on the biochemical parameters of Kalenda eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruits. The manures studied were T1: chicken manure, T2: chicken manure + plantain peel compost, T3: chicken manure + plantain peel potash, T4: plantain peel compost, T0: no fertilizer, T5 (positive control): NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4). The results showed that fiber, protein, lipid, sodium and iron contents were not influenced by the different treatments. However, treatments T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)), T4 (plantain peel compost), T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) and T2 (chicken manure + plantain peel compost) induced the highest carbohydrate and energy content of fruits. With respect to phosphorus and potassium, treatments T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)), T4 (plantain peel compost) and T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) had higher phosphorus values than those of other fertilizers T2 (chicken manure + plantain peel compost), T1 (chicken manure) with an average of 27; 26.58 and 25.491 mg per 100 g FM, respectively. Plants grown on the sites fertilized with chemical treatment T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)) produced the fruits richest in potassium with an average equal to 255.16 mg per 100 g FM, followed by treatment T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) (245.5 mg/100g FM). For magnesium and calcium, treatments T3 (chicken manure + plantain peel potash) and T5 (NPK (10 18 18) + Urea (46% N) + Potassium sulphate (K2SO4)) were characterized by the lowest contents, thus reflecting an antagonism between potassium and these minerals. From this study, it appears that plantain peel applied as an organic fertilizer on eggplant is a source of potassium, phosphorus, carbohydrates and energy for a good nutritional balance of the body.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-70
Author(s):  
Thorvaldur Gunnlaugsson

The exponent for predicting total body mass from length has been studied in many species and here data on common minke whales from areas in the North Atlantic is added from both Icelandic and Norwegian research catches. The exponent was found to be not significantly different from 3. In addition seasonal changes in body mass and in the parts of blubber, muscle and visceral fat are reported. The exponent for how blubber mass increases with length is lower than 3. In all cases a significant increase over the season was detected, in particular for the mature animals, and also in girth measurements, particularly at the posterior part of the body. Pregnant females had significantly more blubber than other whales. These results agree with studies on blubber thickness measurements and tissue energy content of Icelandic baleen whales and observed changes in the ecosystem around Iceland during the research period.


2001 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-31
Author(s):  
Al Qudri

ABSTRACT. Tempe of soybean is fermented soybean with Rhizopus ologosporus fungus. From a result of researchers, it is the fact that tempe can increase valuable of nutrion and digest capacity and also produce antibiotic . Utilization of abtibiotic in chiken food as stimulus growth in not recommended because it can cause resistance a certain germ and it is presume there are antibiotic residu in egg and chiken meat. It is hope that the use of fermented soybean oil meal can increase nutrient value and digest capacity as well as produce antibiotic, so that it can get a better growth and over come a problem of using antibiotic in chiken food. The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of fermented soybean oil meal utilization in the ration on body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion and mortality. The study use 80 unsex day old chick broiler CP-707 and conducted at Poulty Laboratory Product Agriculture Faculty, Syiah Kuala University. Chiken were putting in 27 houses unit, each unit contain of four chiken. The design of experiment was Completely Randomized Design, four treatments and five replication. The treatments were ration contained 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% fermented soybean oil meal as replace the use of soybean oil meal. The protein and energy content of all dietary treatments were equally composed from six weeks investigation, were body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion and mortality. The result of the study indicated that up to 10% graded of fermented soybean oil meal in ration were significant difference influenced increase the body weight gain and decrease the feed conversion. The fermented soybeanoil meal) utilization more than 10% were significant difference decrease the body weight gain and increase the feed conversion. If the inclusion was increase the feed consumption would tendency decline. In this study there were no mortality in all treatment. In can be advised from this study that fermented soybean oil meal could be used in broiler ration or in all poulty ration.


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