Abstract
A population of the small clam Kingiella chilenica Soot Ryen 1959 was studied from March 1986 to December 1988 in an intertidal flat at Queule River, in the south of Chile. The life cycle and life history pattern of the bivalve were established contrasting population structure and dynamics to its reproductive habits. Individuals are gonochoristic and semelparous, presenting a typical annual life cycle. The species is a sequential brooder whose embryos undergo direct development. After the brooding season (summer through autumn), the adults disappear gradually (autumn through winter). Recruited juveniles overwinter during a relatively long period, undergoing rapid growth during the spring to attain the adult stage during the summer. The number of brooded embryos increases in proportion to adult length cubed. Life history traits of this bivalve are compared to those reported for other small brooder clams. Some basic tendencies become apparent when traits for semelparous versus iteroparous species are contrasted. As in other semelparous sequential brooders (Transennella tantilla, Gaimardia bahamondei), the relationship between brood size and shell length obseved in K. chilenica does not fit the allometry hypothesis for marine brooding invertebrtes that allometric constraints on the brooding space limit the fecundity of larger individuals. Also contrary to theoretical predictions, small body size does not limit the diversity of a clam's developmental patterns. Possible explanations for this finding are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Asson-Batres, M. A. (1988). Reproduction and growth of the brooding bivalve Transennella tantilla. Veliger 30 (3): 257–266
Beauchamp, K. A. (1986). Reproductive ecology of the brooding, hermaphroditic clam Lasaea subviridis. Mar. Biol. 93: 225–235
Benavides, A. G., Cancino, J. M. (1988). Características fisiológicas del bivalvo incubador Gaimardia bahamondei Osorio & Arnaud, 1984. Medio ambiente 9 (2): 13–20
Brower, J. E., Zar, J. H. (1977) Field and Laboratory methods for general ecology. Wm. C. Brown Company Publishers, Dubuque, Iowa
Caswell, H. (1981). The evolution of “mixed” life histories in marine invertebrates and elsewhere. Am. Nat. 117: 529–536
Franz, D. R. (1973). The ecology and reproduction of a marine bivalve, Mysella planulata (Erycinacea). Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 144: 93–106
Gallardo, C. S. (1987). Estrategias reproductivas en invertebrados marinos bentónicos con especial referencia a moluscos; un enfoque global del problema y sus perspectivas. Memorias II Congreso Latinoamericano sobre Ciencias del Mar. Lima, Perú, 1987 II: 381–389
Gallardo, C. S., Perron, F. E. (1982). Evolutionary ecology of reproduction in marine benthic molluses. Malacologia 22 (1–2): 109–114
Cérard, G., Berthet, P. (1971). Sampling strategy in censusing patchv populations. In: Patil, G. P., Pielou, F. C., Waters, W. F. (eds.) Spatial patterns and statistical distributions, Vol. 1. Statistical ecology. The Pennsylvania University Press, University Park, p. 59–67
Gray, S. (1982). Morphology and taxonomy of two species of the genus Transennella (Bivalvia: Veneridae) from western North America and a description of T. confusa sp. nov. Malac. Rev. 15: 107–117
Green, R. H., Hobson, K. D. (1970). Spatial and temporal structure in a temperate intertidal community, with special emphasis on Gemma gemma (Pelecypoda: Mollusca). Ecology 51 (6): 999–1011
Heath, D. J. (1979). Brooding and the evolution of hermaphroditism J. theor. Biol. 81: 151–155
Kabat, A. R. (1985). The allometry of brooding in Transennella tantilla (Gould) (Mollusca: Bivalvia). J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 91: 271–279
Mann, F. G. (1948). Biología de la Antártica Suramericana. Estudios realizados durante la Expedición Antártica Chilena, 1947. Imprenta Universitaria, Santiago
Ockelmann, K. W., Muus, K. (1978). The biology, ecology and behaviour of the bivalve Mysella bidentata (Montagu). Ophelia 17 (1): 1–93
O'Foighil, D. (1985). Sperm transfer and storage in the brooding bivalve Mysella tumida. Biol. Bull. mar. biol. Lab., Woods Hole 169:602–614
O'Foighil, D. (1988). Random mating and planktotrophic larval development in the brooding hermaphroditic clam Lasaea australis (Lamarck, 1818). Veliger 31:214–221
O'Foighil, D. (1989). Planktotrophic larval depelopment is associate with a restricted geographic range in Lasaea, a genus of brooding, hermaphroditic bivalves. Mar. Biol. 103:349–358
O'Foighil, D., McGrath, D., Conneely, M. E., Keegan, B. F., Costelloe, M. (1984). Population dynamics and reproduction of Mysella bidentata (Bivalvia: Galeommatacea) in Galway Bay, Irish west coast. Mar. Biol. 81:283–291
Oldfield, E. (1964). The reproduction and development of some members of the Erycinidae and Montacutidae (Mollusca, Eulamellibranchiata). Proc. malac. Soc. Lond. 36:79–120
Osorio, C. (1974). Ovoviviparía en Cyamiocardium denticulatum (Smith) (Mollusca, Lamellibranchia, Perrierinidae). Museo Nat. Hist. Nat. Noticiario Mensual. Año XVIII, 215:7–10
Osorio, C., Arnaud, P. M. (1984). Gaimardia bahamondei, spec. nov. from Central Chile (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Cyamiidae: Gaimardiinae). Veliger 26 (4): 311–315
Ralph, R., Everson, I. (1972). Some observations on the growth of Kidderia bicolor (Martens) (Mollusca: Lamellibranchiata) at South Georgia. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. No. 31:51–54
Ruiz, G. M. (1991). Consequences of parasitism in marine invertebrates: host evolution. Am. Zool. 31:831–839
Sastry, A. N. (1979). Pelecypoda (excluding Ostreidae). Brood protection. In: Giese, A. C., Pearse, J. S. (eds.) Reproduction of marine invertebrates, Vol. V. Molluses: pelecypods and lesser classes. Academic Press, New York, p. 257–264
Sellmer, G. P. (1967). Functional morphology and ecological life history of the gem clam Gemma gemma (Eulamellibranchia: Veneridae). Malacologia 5:137–223
Simpson, R. D. (1977). The reproduction of some littoral molluscs from Maccquarie Island (Sub-Antarctic). Mar. Biol. 44:125–142
Strathmann, R. R., Strathmann, M. F. (1982): The relationship between adult size and brooding in marine invertebrates. Am. Nat. 119(1):91–101
Strathmann, R. R., Strathmann, M. F., Emson, R. H. (1984). Does limited brood capacity link adult size, brooding and simultaneous hermaphroditism? A test with the starfish Asterina phylactica. Am. Nat. 123 (6) 796–818
Thompson, J. K. (1982). Population structure of Gemma gemma in South San Francisco Bay, with a comparison to some. Northeastern United States estuarine populations. Veliger 24(3):281–290
Todd, C. D. (1979). Reproductive energetics of two species of dorid nudibranchs with planktotrophic and lecithotrophic larval strategies. Mar. Biol. 53:57–68
Underwood, A. J. (1979). The ecology of intertidal gastropods. In: Russell, F. S., Yonge, M. (eds.) Advances in marine biology. Academic Press, London, p. 111–210
Weinberg, J. R. (1985). Factors regulating population dynamics of the marine bivalve Gemma gemma: intraspecific competition and salinity. Mar. Biol. 86:173–182
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gallardo, C.S. Reproductive habits and life cycle of the small clam Kingiella chilenica (Bivalvia: Cyamiidae) in an estuarine sand flat from the south of Chile. Marine Biology 115, 595–603 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349367
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349367