Invertebrate Reproduction & Development 

About: Invertebrate Reproduction & Development is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Sperm. It has an ISSN identifier of 0792-4259. Over the lifetime, 1403 publications have been published receiving 22205 citations. The journal is also known as: Invertebrate reproduction and development.

Accuracy and standardization of brachyuran larval descriptions

Abstract: Summary There is a need for improvement and standardization in larval descriptions for them to become useful not only for identification purposes but also in comparative and phylogenetic studies. Details of the rearing technique and equipment used should be given, the spent female crab and representative larval stages need to be deposited at a national museum and a minimum of five specimens of each stage should be used for meristic and morphometric criteria. Diagnostic features of the carapace, all appendages, abdomen, and other characters that are to be included in a standard larval description are presented with specifications concerning format and sequence of substructures. Typical configurations of larval structures are given and some possible exceptions are described. Guidelines for illustrations including the preparation, size, sequence and arrangement of figures are provided.

Molecular approaches to nontoxic antifouling

Abstract: Summary A consequence of environmental and human health concerns arising from the use of toxic metals in marine antifouling coatings has been to recognise the need for a nontoxic alternative to fouling control. Recent research has focused on two approaches to this problem: the development of (a) foul-release coatings that work on the principle of either low surface free energy or coating ablation, and (b) coatings that incorporate a compound(s) that is nontoxic, or at least environmentally benign, that will deter fouling. Here we discuss the nature of the fouling problem and a new technology that is emerging to address it. The use of natural marine products and of analogues to these compounds holds considerable promise and is an area of intense research. It is recognized, however, that a melding of the technologies of foul-release and foul-deterrence may be required to develop broad spectrum, nontoxic antifouling coatings. This approach may more closely reflect antifouling strategies adopted by marine org...

Ontogeny of osmoregulation in crustaceans: a review

Abstract: Summary From the results of studies conducted from the 1960s, three patterns of ontogeny of postembryonic osmoregulation in crustaceans may be distinguished: (1) osmoregulation varies little with developmental stage and the adults are often weak regulators or osmoconformers;(2) the adult type of osmoregulation is established in the first postembryonic stage; (3) metamorphosis marks the appearance of the adult type of osmoregulation. The occurrence of osmoregulation is based on efficient ionic regulation (mainly of Na+ and CI−) and increased levels of Na+-K+ ATPase activity. Osmoregulatory epithelia may appear at different times of development and at different locations of the branchial chamber. These events are inter-related, and are correlated with changes in salinity tolerance. In species the eggs of which are exposed to the external medium, either embryos are osmotically protected by the egg envelopes, or the egg membranes and/or the embryos acquire the ability to osmoregulate. When embryos develop in ...

Storage tissue metabolism and reproduction in marine bivalves—a brief review

Abstract: Summary The diversity of storage tissue cell types in bivalve molluscs is evident. In some species there are no specific storage cells, and the adductor muscle plays the role of a reserve tissue (Pectinidae). In others both muscular cells and specific storage cells are involved in storage and release of nutrients for gametogenesis (Veneridae). A few species have a specific storage tissue such as the mantle in Mytilus containing two complementary types of cells. This specialisation can be correlated with the fertility of the species and with the variation of available food organisms. Vesicular connective tissue is found in species with a high level of fecundity which are subject to marked fluctuations in food availability (Mytilidae, Ostreidae). This can be considered as an adaptive behaviour to profit from uncertain supply of food supplies in order to produce the maximum number (and quality) of gametes in a precise period of the year.

Contributions of larval biology to crustacean research: a review

Abstract: Summary Many aquatic crustaceans pass through a complex life cycle comprising a benthic juvenile-adult and a pelagic larval phase. In the study of aquatic ecology, meroplanktonic larvae are therefore considered as principal components of benthic-pelagic coupling processes. As a consequence of radical transitions of life style, larvae differ from conspecific adults in their ecology, behaviour, nutrition, morphology, and physiology. Ontogenetic changes of these traits, as well as carry-over effects of larval condition on postmetamorphic fitness of benthic juveniles, are subjects of the interdisciplinary field of larval biology. Larval biology is thus not only an intrinsic part of lifehistory studies, but contributes essential information also to various other biological disciplines, including the broad area of crustacean research. For economically important species, it provides critical information for the development of aquaculture techniques or for the management of sustainable fisheries. Inferring from h...